Freedom of Expression – Have Your Say
PEN Canada, in collaboration with the Art Gallery of Ontario, is proud to present an interactive forum on freedom of expression at According to What?, Ai Weiwei’s new exhibition at the AGO.
“Writers, artists, and commentators on websites are detained or thrown into jail when they reflect on democracy, opening up, reform and reason. This is the reality of China.” – Ai Weiwei 2011
In many parts of the world, citizens feel entitled to express themselves as participants in a democratic society and believe freedom of expression to be an intrinsic good. In China, citizens are not as lucky. For years, authorities have placed restrictions on traditional media sources and policed the Internet. While the advent of blogs and micro-blogs represent a glimmer of hope in the struggle for freedom of expression, the government has firewalled social media applications and used censorship, intimidation, and imprisonment to silence detractors.
For Ai Weiwei, freedom of expression is an essential part of life and art. He uses art to engage people in political and cultural issues, and to help them understand and deal with the past. Ai has witnessed political repression throughout his life, starting with his family’s exile in 1958 after his father – the poet and intellectual Ai Qing – spoke out against the government of Mao Zedong. Despite his own constant battles with the government, Ai continues to express his opinions through art and social media, using both as powerful vehicles for social change.
Visit the AGO to see the exhibition, and have your say at the PEN interactive freedom of expression forum.