#aiww: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei
dal 10/4/2013 al 17/5/2013
Segnalato da
10/4/2013
#aiww: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei
Hampstead Theatre, London
A new play by Howard Brenton based on Barnaby Martin's conversations with the artist
A new play by Howard Brenton based on Barnaby Martin's conversations with Ai Weiwei. Directed by James Macdonald. One of the UK's leading playwrights, Howard Brenton returns to Hampstead to shine a light on contemporary international politics and the role of Art. On 3 April 2011, as he was boarding a flight to Taipei, the Chinese Artist Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing Airport. Advised merely that his travel 'could damage state security', he was escorted to a van by officials after which he disappeared for 81 days. On his release, the government claimed that his imprisonment related to tax evasion. Howard Brenton's new play is based on recent conversations with Ai in which he told the story of that imprisonment - by turns surreal, hilarious, and terrifying. A portrait of the Artist in extreme conditions, it is also an affirmation of the centrality of Art and of freedom of speech in civilised society. Running time is approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes including a 20 minute interval.