On Tuesday, Al Jazeera’s social media show The Stream hosted artist, activist, and vehement social media user Ai Weiwei via webcam to answer questions posed by viewers and followers. Ai spoke to questions about art’s power for catalyzing social change (02:09), whether there is a possibility of him leaving China (05:54), the limits of using social media for political action (08:25), and what it would take for more Chinese citizens to demand government recognition of human rights (11:19).
After the interview with Ai, The Stream and its viewers further discuss Ai Weiwei, his legacy, censorship, and social media with professor of Communication, Culture, and Technology JP Singh; and maker of the forthcoming documentary Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry Alison Klayman. The blogpost accompanying the episode provides an excellent digest of Ai’s art and political activism, as well as the campaigns launched by his supporters around the world.
