China is going through a tumultuous media period. Suspected of lying about the actual Covid-19 figures, the government of Xi Jinping has revised the balance sheet upwards and an additional 1,290 deaths have been recorded in Wuhan. This strange management challenged the Beijing artist in exile Ai Weiwei, who widely castigated his country.
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At a digital conference organized by the Oslo Freedom Forum, the father of the "Coca-Cola vase" expressed his feelings about the situation, pointing to censorship and misinformation. “During this whole coronavirus crisis, there was a lot of anger and concern about the Communist Party. The pandemic has claimed the lives of thousands of people and has been subversive for the modern establishment, " said the artist. “People just want global businesses to get back to normal as soon as possible [but the campaign] doesn't speak up for a clear truth or argument. This is only the sign of a new failure for the Chinese government , "he said again.
This "campaign" is the one waged to congratulate and thank Chinese President Xi JinPing for his management and efforts and in the fight against the virus. "Propaganda," he said, strongly criticized by Chinese public opinion. "For a long time people had no idea what was going on and this gave the virus a chance to spread. People wonder about the real situation, and first wonder where this disease comes from and how it spread, " said Weiwei, highlighting how the media is controlled so as not to alter government image.
According to him, the WHO which one did not give a “clear outline of the gravity of the problem” also has its share of responsibilities. He also denounces this censorship in the art world, his field. "Art plays a crucial role in societies, but in China it never works as it should because of the strict censorship laws in place today," he said.
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Exiled in Berlin since 2015, Ai Weiwei continues to exercise his activity freely. His latest performance, Safe Passage , in Minneapolis. To denounce the plight of migrants in Europe, he completely covered the neoclassical columns of the Minneapolis Institute of Art with life vests. The city of Minnesota with the highest number of refugees per capita of all the American states. The work is presented as part of the traveling exhibition When Home Won't Let You Stay: Art and Migration.
Safe Passage to Minneapolis. Charles Walbridge / Minneapolis Institute of Art.