Art has the ability to connect with people to evoke
emotions and influence new perceptions. Chinese artist and activist, Ai Weiwei,
utilizes his passion and talents to create a dialogue for change. Combining the
powers of art and activism, he hopes the public will gain a consciousness of
the many abuses of human rights thus evoking a call for action against social
injustices. In his recent work, Weiwei advocates for refugee rights in his
piece titled “Law of the Journey”. As a refugee himself, Weiwei hopes to educate
people of the severity of this global issue. This piece is almost 200 feet long
containing over 300 human figures tightly packed and huddled inside a lifeboat.
The dark details depict the gloom and danger that refugees face in their
journey to escape persecution. Weiwei describes the lifeboat as the vessel of
forced exodus as countless refugees will risk their lives to travel by boat.
“Law of the Journey” is displayed on Cockatoo Island for the 21st Biennale
of Sydney, Australia.1 Since the exhibit is being held in
Sydney, Weiwei directs this piece to the ignorance of the Australian government
for their role in perpetuating the “refugee crisis”. He hopes the Australian
people will be advocates for refugees and come to the understanding of the many
challenges refugees face as the government continues to deny their rights thus
perpetuating persecution and oppression that refugees have already faced in
their country of origin and throughout their travels. The masses of faceless
figures depict how refugees are homogenized and reduced to subjects other than
human beings in which regulations and laws prohibit basic human rights for
refugees. Such laws detach individualism from refugees which allows for
justification of their mistreatment. Weiwei has created other pieces pertaining
to the advocacy of refugees and the placement of his art is very important as
he’s done work in the Greek Island of Lesbos and in Berlin, Germany. We have
learned that Greece is the arrival point for many refugees fleeing into Europe
and Germany continues to open their borders to thousands of refugees. Weiwei’s
work serves as a reminder to never forget refugees and to keep fighting for
their rights. He states, “There is no refugee crisis, only a human crisis… In
dealing with refugees we’ve lost our very basic values. In this time of
uncertainty, we need more tolerance, compassion, and trust for each other,
since we are all one, otherwise, humanity will face an even bigger crisis.”2
Ai Weiwei- "Law of the Journey"
1 “Superposition- Equilibrium and Engagement.” Ai Weiwei- Biennale of Sydney, www.biennaleofsydney.art/artists/ai-weiwei/.
2 Weiwei, Ai. “The Refugee Crisis Isn't about Refugees. It's about Us.”
The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 2 Feb. 2018.
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