Ai Weiwei

Directing

Born: 1957-08-28
From: Beijing, China
Gender: Male
Popularity: 0.2

Also Known As

Ài WèiwèiWeiwei AiAi Wei-wei

Biography

Ai Weiwei is a Chinese contemporary artist and activist. Ai grew up in the far north-west of China, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his father's exile. As an activist, he has been openly critical of the Chinese Government's stance on democracy and human rights. He investigated government corruption and cover-ups, in particular the Sichuan schools corruption scandal following the collapse of schools in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. In 2011, Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport on 3 April, for allegedly economic crimes. He was detained for 81 days without charge. Ai Weiwei emerged as a vital instigator in Chinese cultural development, an architect of Chinese modernism, and one of the nation's most vocal political commentators. Ai Weiwei encapsulates political conviction and his personal poetry in his many sculptures, photographs and public works. In doing this, he makes use of Chinese art forms to display the Chinese political and social issues. After being allowed to leave China in 2015, he has lived in Berlin, Germany, and, since 2019, in Cambridge, UK, with his family, working and traveling internationally.

Awards & Nominations5 won · 0 nominated

🏆 Won

Joan B. Cendrós International Award

2021
🏆 Won

LennonOno Grant for Peace

2016
🏆 Won

Ambassador of Conscience Award

2015
🏆 Won

Václav Havel Prize

2012
🏆 Won

The Glass of Reason

2010

Acting33 titles

Directing34 titles

Production23 titles

Camera2 titles

Editing5 titles

Crew5 titles