Ai Weiwei is making a monument dedicated to Gorbachev: A visionary

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei is creating a monument dedicated to Mikhail Gorbachev, former president of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the last leader of the Soviet Union. He worked with U.S. President Ronald Reagan to limit nuclear weapons and end the Cold War.

The dissident artist calls Gorbachev a visionary, “one of the most important thinkers who helped give society a new chance.” “Gorbachev has always been a symbol for people in search of freedom,” said Ai Weiwei, who was imprisoned, beaten and guarded by Chinese Communist Party officials in 2011 because of his works highly critical of the state. “A democratizing Russia could be a model for communist China,” he continued. “Until today there is no one like Gorbachev in China, and if China does not initiate political reform like Gorbachev’s, it will not have good results in terms of economic development.”

Ai Weiwei is making the monument in Berlin, after he made the announcement on October 2, the eve of the 30th anniversary of Germany’s reunification. He is collaborating with Slovenian activist Jaka Bizilj’s Cinema for Peace foundation.

Meanwhile, the artist is continuing to express sympathies with Chinese dissidents, as he did in Cockroach (2020), his new documentary focusing on the 2019 pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.

Ph.Credit Adam Berry

Ai Weiwei is making a monument dedicated to Gorbachev: A visionary

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