'Shame on Me' - Ai Weiwei - Chinese artist and critic spiegel.de
excerpt
SPIEGEL: In which way has the experience of the past months changed your art or your definition of art?
Ai: My definition of art has always been the same. It is about freedom of expression, a new way of communication. It is never about exhibiting in museums or about hanging it on the wall. Art should live in the heart of the people. Ordinary people should have the same ability to understand art as anybody else. I don't think art is elite or mysterious. I don't think anybody can separate art from politics. The intention to separate art from politics is itself a very political intention. I definitely know people who are shameless enough to give up basic values. I see this kind of art, and when I see it I feel ashamed. In China they treat art as some form of decoration, a self-indulgence. It is pretending to be art. It looks like art. It sells like art. But it is really a piece of shit.
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ABOUT AI WEIWEIDuring recent days, Chinese regime critic Ai Weiwei seems to have experienced every possible emotion all over again: triumph and defeat, power and powerlessness. First there were the authorities, who applied pressure by issuing an ultimatum for the payment of a tax claim of around 1.7 million euros. And then thousands of Chinese transferred close to 1 million euros via the Internet. Last Tuesday, Ai made a payment of about 970,000 euros -- the amount stipulated as a condition before the artist could officially appeal the claims made by the tax authorities. Ai Weiwei has stated that he is not the legal representative of the firm Beijing Fake Cultural Development Ltd., which is registered in the name of his wife. Since Ai's release after 81 days in custody, SPIEGEL has been in frequent contact with the artist. Last week, the magazine was able to speak with Ai, who is now also accused of disseminating pornographic images by the Chinese authorities. |