Ai Weiwei To Curate Exhibition Of Works By Incarcerated People

Ai Wei Wei’s fight for freedom through art will continue at a showcase of works by incarcerated individuals.

To mark the 60th anniversary of the Koestler Awards—which started in 1962 to honor artistic achievements by those within the UK’s criminal justice system—the famed Chinese dissident artist willcurate a special exhibition in London, entitled Freedom.

Freedom, taking place this fall, hopes to reflect the diverse creativity of individuals incarcerated in prison, mental health facilities, immigration detention centers, and youth offender institutions.

According to the organization, Ai Weiwei has said he wants this year’s showcase to be “the most ambitious yet,” and that he will comb through thousands of visual artworks, music, and writing submitted for this year’s awards to choose his favorites. 

ARTnews notes that the topic at hand is close to the artist’s heart, considering that he was detained in 2011 during China’s crackdown, spending 81 days in prison. After which, he was subjected to interrogations and constant surveillance from the government. 

It’s no surprise that when asked, many entrants suggested Ai for the role of guest curator, which has now become a reality.

As Ai puts it, some of the most important works of art and literature throughout history were created when the artist was “restricted, oppressed, and challenged, rather than being completely free.”

Freedom is set to take place from October 27, 2022, to December 18, 2022, at Exhibition Space, Level 1, Royal Festival Hall, at the Southbank Centre in London.

[via ARTnews and Koestler Awards, cover image via J Morc / Shutterstock.com]