So, if I'm reading this and the other related articles correctly (ignoring the distinctly anti-Chinese government slant), Ai has essentially been squatting in that "studio" for almost a year...
So, if I'm reading this and the other related articles correctly (ignoring the distinctly anti-Chinese government slant), Ai has essentially been squatting in that "studio" for almost a year without a rental contract and the neighborhood was already slated for redevelopment because it's full of old and (according to the Chinese gov) "unsafe" industrial buildings that also happen to be being squatted in by other artists. Yet every article I read on this seems to be trying to imply that he and the artists are being specifically targeted by the government, which doesn't necessarily appear to be the case, IMO.
P.s. And for those curious... this is what the "studio" looked like before the demolition, according to Getty Images:
I've looked at multiple articles to try to find proof of Ai having squatted in the studio... I can't find any. It sounds more like he knew they needed to move, but that they started the teardown...
I've looked at multiple articles to try to find proof of Ai having squatted in the studio... I can't find any.
It sounds more like he knew they needed to move, but that they started the teardown well in advance of the final move date.
https://www.afp.com/en/news/206/broken-art-ai-weiweis-beijing-studio-faces-wrecking-ball-doc-1840df3 And I swear to God, that exact quote was also in the NPR article earlier with a reference to...
Ai wasn't overly angry about the demolition, as the rental contract for the space had expired last autumn, said Ga Rang, an assistant who has worked for 10 years alongside the artist.
And I swear to God, that exact quote was also in the NPR article earlier with a reference to the AFP article it was from (which is how I found it in the first place) when I made that previous comment, too. I even considered quoting it because it seemed pretty important but was such a minor part of the article that I felt was being glossed over by NPR.
Oh, I am certainly not denying that nor defending the Chinese government in general. However in this instance it seems more that the place was basically abandoned, deteriorating, and was already...
Oh, I am certainly not denying that nor defending the Chinese government in general. However in this instance it seems more that the place was basically abandoned, deteriorating, and was already slated for demolition. Ai was essentially squatting in the space without a rental contract since last fall according to his own assistant who was quoted in the AFP article about the situation.
So, if I'm reading this and the other related articles correctly (ignoring the distinctly anti-Chinese government slant), Ai has essentially been squatting in that "studio" for almost a year without a rental contract and the neighborhood was already slated for redevelopment because it's full of old and (according to the Chinese gov) "unsafe" industrial buildings that also happen to be being squatted in by other artists. Yet every article I read on this seems to be trying to imply that he and the artists are being specifically targeted by the government, which doesn't necessarily appear to be the case, IMO.
P.s. And for those curious... this is what the "studio" looked like before the demolition, according to Getty Images:
https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/the-exterior-of-chinese-artist-and-activist-ai-weiweis-left-and-right-picture-id1010643020
https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/boxes-cointaining-art-works-are-seen-after-being-packed-up-at-ai-picture-id1010297520
Call me crazy, but I think I may have to go with the Chinese government on this one. :/
I've looked at multiple articles to try to find proof of Ai having squatted in the studio... I can't find any.
It sounds more like he knew they needed to move, but that they started the teardown well in advance of the final move date.
https://www.afp.com/en/news/206/broken-art-ai-weiweis-beijing-studio-faces-wrecking-ball-doc-1840df3
And I swear to God, that exact quote was also in the NPR article earlier with a reference to the AFP article it was from (which is how I found it in the first place) when I made that previous comment, too. I even considered quoting it because it seemed pretty important but was such a minor part of the article that I felt was being glossed over by NPR.
Thanks, good to know. It seems like I found a bunch of articles that were all just copying the same AP report or something.
To be fair, there is quite the history of the Chinese government monitoring and targeting Ai Wei Wei.
Oh, I am certainly not denying that nor defending the Chinese government in general. However in this instance it seems more that the place was basically abandoned, deteriorating, and was already slated for demolition. Ai was essentially squatting in the space without a rental contract since last fall according to his own assistant who was quoted in the AFP article about the situation.