Discussion: "Censorship is a Sign of Weakness" Interview with Ai Weiwei, Beijing
Ai Weiwei, born in1957 in Beijing, is the son of the poet Ai Qing. During his childhood, he and his family were forced into exile in the Gobi Desert. He studied at Peking Institute of Film, and moved to New York in 1981; there he studied at Parsons School of Design and Art. In 1994 he returned to China. Since 1999 he has explored the fields urban design, architecture, interior architecture and landscape architecture. In collaboration with Herzog & de Meuron he designed the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Olympic games. Ai Weiwei is one of the most important comtemporary artists in Beijing. He and 1001 of his countrymen will travel to Cassel to present the project "Fairytale" at this year's Documenta .
