Ai Weiwei: Chinese political activist hailed as the world’s “most powerful artist” (ibtimes.co.uk).
And never far from controversy or clashes with the Chinese Communist party:
“He was placed under house arrest in 2011, investigated for ‘spreading pornography’ for his pictures One Tiger Eight Breasts which showed the artist surrounded by four naked women. Ai told AFP news agency: ‘This is an investigation, now, they are doing on me, on pornography.’”
One Tiger Eight Breasts; for sure, I always thought that was a stance co-opted from the Black Tiger Fist into the Praying Mantis style to win some converts back from Wing Chun (GoogleTube).
“Netizens came to take photos with me, so we said why don’t we take nudity photos, then everybody agreed so we did it and they were put on the internet, and that’s it, we forget about it.”
Which, for sure, in a different social media context might be described as the spiel a dirty lil’ old man might use to procure some nude selfies but…
“If they see nudity as pornography, then China is still in the Qing dynasty.”
Which obviously Instagram, with its automated nipple checker but bizarrely not bare bum bot, must be too, along with Google search unless you forsake Matt Cutts’ missus cookie and switch off SafeQingSearch. I guess the divide between artful nudity and pornography is something only a “most powerful artist” or MET-Art (Wikipedia) can make and remain f’Qing tasteful.
And a world away from tasteful…
Charlie Hebdo cover cartoon jokes about death of drowned Syrian toddler Aylan Kurdi (independent.co.uk).
“French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo has featured a cartoon joking about the death of Syrian toddler Aylan Kurdi on the cover of its latest issue. … The print accompanying the image reads: ‘Welcome to migrants!’ A second cartoon depicts what appears to be Jesus next to the drowned boy with the caption: ‘Proof that Europe is Christian. Christians walk on water—Muslim children sink. … The images were drawn by artist, Laurent ‘Riss’ Sourisseau. The political cartoonist has had to be chaperoned at all times by armed, plain-clothed police since the attack on the Charlie Hebdo headquarters.’”
Yes, I understand irony, and I understand post-irony—and I do not lay claim to the definition of either—but I’m pretty certain something seemingly abhorrent taints these and makes them neither. Is Charlie Hebdo a victim of the success it did not have prior to the senseless brutality inflicted on caricaturists that trained their pens on religious institutions rather than filling them with flammable ink that could just as well fuel fires of far right fundamentally Christian authoritarianism? Westboro Baptist Church must be relieved to read that Europe still is a Christian enclave outside of Kansas after all, but, alas, it seems in opinion of many “Christians” in Europe there’s not not only no room at the inn but none in the stable either.
It’s musical break time. Come over here and let me tell you something, nothing ever comes of nothing, we pay a price for all our choices made.
Recent/related stories
- Mama Merkel? No, Uncle CamerTom: David Cameron forced to peddle, albeit backwards, after claiming Britain should not take more Middle East refugees (Latest Picks 3rd September 2015)
- Writers protest at Charlie Hebdo Freedom Award and staff split over money two months after attack (Pick of the Week 14th January 2015, updated 27th April 2015)
- Ai Weiwei vase worth $1m broken in local artist protest (Pick of the Week 26th February 2014)
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