Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei has been in the news for two reasons in the past week. First, his installation, @Large, opened on Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay. Second, he has spoken out in support of pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong. These two instances are characteristic of Ai’s ascendance from artist to activist. They provide support for the idea that art and free expression, in their various forms (ranging from elaborate installations to Instagram posts), can be a powerful form of political action.
In the 1960s, artists such as Andy Warhol began to move away from the high-low distinction that had kept art in a separate realm from society for so long. Since then, many great figures of the post-modern era have continued to blur the line between art and everyday objects and experiences, using installations, multimedia, and performance art to continue this new tradition of challenging the past and embracing new mediums. In more recent decades, art has taken on a higher political significance, as artists such as Ai Weiwei challenge and expose their governments.
In the past twenty-four hours since I began writing this column, Ai Wei Wei has posted ten pictures on Instagram, and by the time you are reading this, he will have posted many more. In this short period of time, Ai’s 100,000 plus followers have been greeted with images of a moonlit cat, an array of crab claws, and different angles of Ai’s studio in Beijing, wedged between images of their friends’ Starbucks drinks and various other images.
Simultaneously, visitors to Alcatraz Island have instagrammed Ai’s @Large installation, employing the use of hashtags such as #aiweiweialcatraz. The installation opened on the September 27, situated in the former maximum-security prison and present-day national park. One hundred and seventy-six portraits (made of Legos) are splayed across the floor, displaying the faces of political activists and prisoners, both those revered by the public and more unknown figures. The exhibit includes an opportunity for visitors to write postcards to the living among the featured individuals. Unfortunately, Ai will never see the exhibition himself. His passport was seized by the Chinese authorities when he was arrested and incarcerated in 2011, and he is not free to leave the country.
Some may look at Ai’s newest exhibit, and his art in general, as an empty gesture rather than a meaningful political action. Ai’s Instagram account provides evidence to the contrary. On each of Ai’s recent photos, though they are uncaptioned and sometimes peculiar, there is a multitude of comments about recent pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong. Ai is an artist, but above all he has become a champion of free expression for the entire world. This includes the freedom to Instagram a cat as well as freedom to question and challenge our governments, and to yearn for true democracy.
The argument that art should be arrogated for political gain is reminiscent of old conceptions of art as elevated, inaccessible and aesthetic above all else. The two Berlin Wall panels in front of the Special Collections library at the University, displayed thousands of miles from their original place of origin, are proof that this distinction is no longer valid. Art cannot be appropriated for political gain, because it is inherently political.
The spirit of Ai Weiwei’s work, and the work of other artists/activists around the world define our current moment in history. In the present day, artists and cultural figures have the ability to heavily impact global conversation. However, they obtain this power through individuals who inspire and contribute to these movements, even if only through a simple Instagram or Facebook post. This fact is evident in Beijing’s decision to shut down Instagram in Mainland China following the outbreak of protests in Hong Kong, because the government recognizes the potential for collective action spreading through the nation.
Today, the ideas and meanings behind what artists display are far more important than their assemblage. In the age of Instagram, 3-D printers, and political upheaval, art has taken on a new form, and yet it remains a powerful tool for political change.
In 1963 John F. Kennedy said, “I am a Berliner” during a speech in West Berlin and spoke about “the elementary rights of free men.” This week, Ai Weiwei echoed this sentiment, tweeting, “I am a Hong-Konger.” As the ideologies of the current day are confronted, even those of us in Charlottesville are Hong-Kongers, connected to the issues of the time as a global community through art, social media, and activism.
Mary Russo is an Opinion Columnist for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at m.russo@cavalierdaily.com.
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