Ai Weiwei is probably one of the most famous contemporary artists to come out of China. Deeply rooted in Chinese tradition, Weiwei decided to break from his traditional values to stand up against the oppressive Chinese government. In and out of jail and house arrest he continues to create works that demand freedom and personal expression.
The most intriguing of his pieces are his Ming Dynasty pieces in which he paints over vases from the Chinese 'golden' era. This symbolizes the erasing of the Chinese culture and tradition as the country moves into the 21st century. One of his latest pieces is a youtube video of him dancing to the Gangham style song. This video is what sent him to jail due to his gestures against the Communist party.
In response to this video several other artist in the art world have showed their support of Ai Weiwei by making a similar video. It's interesting how youtube and social media has been used to fuel social and political change.
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