A small sigh of relief.
If Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei were in demonstrably poor physical condition, it’s unlikely that the Chinese authorities would have allowed his wife to see him yesterday, albeit briefly and closely monitored. Ai had been previously unheard from since taken into custody on Apr. 3.
Alexa Olesen and Isolda Morillo of the Associated Press report:
Lu Qing told the Associated Press she was allowed to meet with her
husband at an unknown location for around 20 minutes Sunday
afternoon and that he seemed conflicted and upset, though insisted he
was healthy and his physical needs were being met.
The indispensable Tania Branigan of the Guardian has published extensive quotes from Ai’s family and his lawyer, reacting to Lu’s visit. Branigan reports:
Ai was not handcuffed, was wearing his own clothes rather than a
uniform, and retained his beard. He said he had his blood pressure
checked several times a day and had received medication he needed for
diabetes. He was able to exercise by walking and said he was eating and
sleeping well….Liu Xiaoyuan, a lawyer who has said he is willing to represent the
artist if necessary, said Ai was not in a jail or a detention center,
but that neither Lu nor Ai were sure where he was being held.He
said police had still not informed Ai’s family of detention and that he
suspected the artist was being held under residential surveillance.
A week ago I visited and videoed the sculptural installation that recently opened in New York (and is now also in London) of Ai’s Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads.
I’m traveling today and will have more commentary later on Ai’s situation, including what I regard as the overly circumspect response by museums and galleries.
But for now, here’s my report on the installation, including my shock at discovering that there was no mention whatsoever of the artist’s current plight. There is, however, a kiosk selling “Circle of Animals” teeshirts and catalogues at $20 a pop, with proceeds going to AW Asia, the for-profit business of one of the installation’s chief organizers, Larry Warsh. AW Asia financed the fabrication of the sculptures, according to its director, Taliesin Thomas, with whom I spoke. Warsh, who frequently travels to China, is a dealer and major collector of Chinese contemporary art and a promoter of the Chinese art market.
Here’s my CultureGrrl Video: