Ai Weiwei

Ai Weiwei calls on Gulf countries to do more to help Syrian refugees

Doha - Arab today

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei called on wealthy Gulf Arab countries to take in more Syrians displaced by six years of civil war, saying the surge of refugees fleeing conflict in the Middle East was a "test for humanity". Ai, often described as China's most high-profile artist and dissident, has won acclaim for artwork highlighting the plight of Middle East refugeesRead more

Giant Ai Weiwei refugee installation to go on display in Prague

Prague - Arab Today

Refugees are the focus of the biggest installation of Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei which goes on display next week at the National Gallery in Prague. Called “Law of the Journey,” the 70-meter-long inflatable boat with 258 oversize refugee figures will be shown from March 16 through the rest of the year, the gallery said. “The largest individual object byRead more

'Anybody could be a refugee': Ai Weiwei films global crisis

Berlin - Arab Today

Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei has a message for US President Donald Trump, Europe's populist right and those who would shut their national borders to migrants and refugees. "A refugee could be anybody. It could be you or me," he said, pointing at past wars and an increasingly uncertain world order. "The so-called refugee crisis is a human crisis." OverRead more

Oscar buzz dead, China clips 'Hooligan Sparrow' wings

Beijing - Arab Today

Ye Haiyan, one of China's most prominent women's rights activists, huddled in her unheated apartment on the outskirts of Beijing, waiting to learn if the documentary that propelled her to international fame would receive an Oscar nod. Last month, "Hooligan Sparrow", a documentary following her activism on behalf of sexually abused children, made a short list for the Academy Awards.Read more

Gaza key part of refugee crisis

Gaza - Arab Today

Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei said Thursday he felt compelled to visit Gaza to understand its part in the global refugee crisis for a documentary he is filming. While Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans have formed the bulk of the thousands of people fleeing to Europe, hundreds of Palestinians have also made the treacherous journey. And Ai said he could notRead more

Ai Weiwei in Gaza to film refugees documentary

Gaza City - AFP

Chinese dissident Ai Weiwei began interviewing refugees in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday for a documentary on the migrant crisis, giving little away about his latest project. "Complicated feeling," the artist told AFP in English. "I'm very happy because I'm here in Gaza, I'm here to meet the people and to interview the refugees for my documentary film on refugeesRead more