Daily Lessons from Life 02 June 2011 - Beijing artists detained after homage to Ai Weiwei

"Beijing artists detained after homage to Ai Weiwei - AsiaOne Thu, Jun 02, 2011

BEIJING, CHINA - The organising artists of a Beijing art show who reserved a blank gallery wall with a small name tag as a show of support for detained artist-activist Ai Weiwei have been detained by police and their exhibit was shut down.

The organisers' gesture of support for China's most politically controversial artist was a rare public display from mainland China's artistic community, which has largely stayed silent in public about Ai's detention.

Ai was detained at Beijing airport on April 3.

Chinese police told state media last month that a company Ai controlled, The Beijing Fake Cultural Development Ltd., had evaded a "huge amount" of taxes and destroyed accounting documents.

But family members and supporters say the outspoken 53-year-old artist is a victim of a crackdown on political dissent that intensified after overseas Chinese websites in February called for protests in China to emulate anti-authoritarian uprisings in the Arab world.

The exhibition opened at an especially sensitive time, as authorities were bracing for Saturday's 22nd anniversary of the government's violent crackdown against pro-democracy protests around Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989."

It is a very sensitive time in Beijing and PRC to be protesting against anything as the authority is very highly strung now.

The apathetic public do not really care much about liberty and freedom of speech and what not as long as their basic needs of clean food and drink and a stable condition to make a decent living are secured. These aspirations have been seriously tested lately with the rampant inflation and the continued gravity defying act of the real estates prices. This despite many serious attempts by the Central Government to curb the spiralling property prices that are alienating millions of people, young and the not so young, who felt squeezed out of a roof over their heads, and making ends meet.

Lessons for me are:

1. economic hardship will push the ordinary people to revolt. It is not there yet but getting there if nothing is done!;

2. independent minded artists are some of the folks who will be at the forefront of protests against perceived suppression as these are the being of being artists! There are far too few of these idealists for the authority to be overly concerned. However, in an internet and social networked society, any little spark of amble can ignite the whole plains. When millions read about such dyfiance, many will copy. That is bad enough! So, the Chinese authority has probably one of the most advance blocking internet access and searches software in the world!;

3. I do not know much about 4th of June incident except to say that who know what would have happened IF Chairmen Deng and his colleagues did not sent the army to crush the peaceful occupation of the Tiananmen Square -Inches away from Zhongnanhai, the seat of government and the CCP! Would China be economically as developed now? Well. Come to think of it, I am not sure if this pace of economical development is all that good on a long term perspective! At least at the moment, it does not look sustainable as the basis upon which the growth is achieved is unsound!

May Mr Ai lives to tell his story. A peaceful transition with all hands on deck working together instead of against each other. It is not going to be esay. But try everyone MUST.