Even the facade of the Haus der Kunst, or House of Art, in Munich is an exhibition piece. It is currently adorned with 9,000 white, blue, yellow, green and red rucksacks. A phrase can be deciphered. “She lived happily on this earth for seven years.”

These are the words of a grieving mother whose daughter was one of the thousands of children killed when their schools collapsed during the devastating earthquake in Sichuan province last year.

The phrase shouts out accusingly from the heart of Munich, drawing attention to China’s corrupt politicians, whom Ai Weiwei blames for the collapse of the schools that were not built according to the regulations.

He is critical of his country where the “poor are neglected and have no rights. It’s the character of dictatorship in the 21st century.”

Brutality of modernisation process reflected in Ai Weiwei’s art

Ai Weiwei's political stance is reflected in his art. He examines the transformations that are going on in China today. For example, he sprays Neolithic vases that are over 6,000 years old with cheap industrial paint or he takes wood from temples that are centuries old and are being pulled down to make way for shopping malls to create new objects.

He explains that Communist China thrives on tearing down old to make way for new: “In the Cultural Revolution it was encouraged to break things -- you were a good Red Guard or Maoist soldier if you could break very valuable things. Our nation does not pay much attention to those things.”

The exhibits in Munich reflect the brutality of China’s modernisation in contrast to the country’s aesthetic tradition.

Ai Weiwei’s main theme is China’s dictatorship but his exhibition is taking place in a building designed under another dictatorship -- Germany’s National Socialist regime. Hitler wanted art that he did not consider “degenerate” to be exhibited in this museum.

That today the building is housing an exhibition of what Hitler would surely have called “degenerate” art, which speaks out against dictatorship, shows how much things have changed in Germany.

“If we don’t speak out, we are part of it”

Things will only change in China if people have the courage to speak out against the regime says Ai Weiwei. “We all need to give our opinion about it or have to make some kind of judgement; otherwise we are part of it.”

“That makes me as an artist who cannot avoid giving out opinions because I live there. If I don’t say anything I’m part of it -- it’s that simple. I am forced to be quite active or politically aware.”

Ai Weiwei is still recovering from injuries sustained when the Chinese security forces beat him up earlier this year. This is why he will not be attending this year's Frankfurt Book Fair which opens on Wednesday and where China is the guest of honour.

Author: Silke Ballweg/Anne Thomas
Editor: Thomas Bärthlein