Ai Weiwei

Ai Weiwei (born 1957 in Beijing) is a Chinese conceptual artist, sculptor, curator, architect, and filmmaker. His work encompasses sculpture, installation, architecture, and documentary film, often addressing political and social issues. Among his notable projects is his involvement in the construction of Beijing’s Olympic Stadium. After spending time in New York, he returned to China in 1993. In 2011, he was secretly detained there for several months without charge. For his artistic and human-rights advocacy, he received, among other honors, the Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent (2012) and Amnesty International’s Ambassador of Conscience Award (2015). His documentary film “Human Flow” premiered at the Venice Film Festival.