Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry (2012)

The Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University presents a screening of the film Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry (2012), followed by a talk with Alison Klayman.

Named the most powerful artist in the world by ArtReview, Ai Weiwei is a celebrated contemporary artist and outspoken critic of the Chinese government. In April 2011, Ai disappeared into police custody for three months. His rise to international prominence began in 2008 when he helped to design Beijing’s iconic Bird’s Nest stadium, and then publicly denounced its Olympic Games effort as party propaganda. Since then, Ai’s critiques of China’s regime have ranged from playful photographs of his raised middle finger in front of Tiananmen Square to searing memorials for the more than 5,000 schoolchildren who died in shoddily constructed schools during the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. Over the years, Ai has also become an Internet champion through active and controversial use of his blog and twitter feeds. This is the inside story of a passionate dissident for the digital age who inspires global audiences and blurs the boundaries between art and politics.

Alison Klayman received her BA in history from Brown University in 2006. She gained unprecedented access to Ai Weiwei, as well as others close to him, while working as a journalist in Beijing after graduation. While shooting her documentary, government authorities shut down Ai’s blog, assaulted him, bulldozed his newly built studio, and held him in secret detention. Time magazine named him a runner-up for 2011’s Person of the Year.

Discussion following the screening will be moderated by Rebecca Richman Cohen, lecturer on law, and Benny Shaffer, PhD candidate in anthropology.

Cosponsored with the Human Rights Program and East Asian Legal Studies at Harvard Law School.