"Today, they started to demolish my studio “zuo you” in Beijing with no precaution .which I have as my main studio since 2006.it is a East German style socialist factory building.farewell.". Så tillkännager konstnären och aktivisten Ai Weiwei ännu ett angrepp från den kinesiska regeringen.
Konstnären är bosatt i Berlin sedan 2011, efter att varit fängslad under tre månader, och suttit i husarrest i ytterligare fyra år innan dess. Han berättar att de hade blivit ombedda att flytta före ett visst datum, ett datum som ännu inte passerat, och att rivningen var en överraskning.
Weiwei har arbetat i studion sedan 2006 och under demoleringen har flera verk skadats. Den kinesiske konstnären väljer trots detta att se rivningen ur ett större perspektiv.
"Works were damaged due to the unannounced attack on the studio. There was no caution taken. However, compared to the memories which have been lost, compared to a society which has never established trust in the social order, a trust in the rule of law, or a trust in any kind of unity in defending the rights of its people, what has been lost at my studio is insignificant, and I don't even care. There are profoundly deeper and wider ruins in this deteriorating society where the human condition has never been respected"
Ai Weiwei har under hela sitt verksamma liv kritiserat den kinesiska regeringens politik och aktioner. Men relationerna dem emellan gick från dålig till sämre år 2009, ett år efter konstnären skapade arenan ‘Bird Nest’ inför OS i Peking 2008.
Samma år, efter en massiv jordbävning i Sichuanprovinsen, blev han en allt starkare aktivistisk röst för folket. Under jordbävningen kollapsade byggnader och begravde tusentals barn. Ai Weiwei blev de utsattas stöd och han skapade flera konstverk i offrens ära. Han har sedan dess fortsatt med en mycket öppen kritik mot Kinas regering i ämnen rörande allt från mänskliga rättigheter till korruption.
Som svar har regeringen vidtagit allt hårdare åtgärder för att tysta Ai Weiwei, bland annat genom rivningen av hans Shanghai-studio år 2010 samt hans arrestering 2011.
Förstörelsen är bara en i raden av flera rivningar i området. Utveckling menar kinesiska myndigheter - gentrifiering menar Ai Weiwei och fortsätter:
"Demolishing existing buildings for new development, or for whatever reason, happens in every city. However, since last year, a policy was enacted to clear out migrant workers from Beijing. It is gentrification, but this is also a society which exploits the rights of its migrant workers. They have never had any security in their lives in terms of property or legal support. They are dependent on the clear laws which should protect their basic human rights. They live in a society where they have no opportunity to freely discuss in the media any matter related to these issues. This is not simply the demolition of a studio, but rather the demolition of human rights.
Right now, there is the misconception that it's simply the demolition of one artist's studio, which is not true. They have been demolishing migrant worker's homes, often in the middle of the night. They kick them out, destroy their personal belongings, and make them homeless or have them arrested for resisting eviction. This has been going on and on.
In China, there is no independent judicial system and no independent media so these people do not have a voice. I consider myself lucky. I can still have my voice heard. My image can still appear on the internet and I can still make public my struggle. However, my argument is not about myself or my studio. It's a nice studio and I have used it for the last twelve years to produce large artworks. But beyond that, this situation reflects the reality that even those with certain privilege are also seen as irrelevant. They will not consider granting even a few days more to move out."
Studion är heller inte den enda konstnärliga verksamhet som försvinner. Flera gallerier i Caochangdi, ett konstområde i Peking utvecklat av Ai Weiwei, har förstörts för att bana väg för denna så kallade utveckling.
"Free speech and free expression have simply never existed in China or in its artist communities," berättar Ai för NPR. "Those who do not belong to the establishment, including artists, are always the first to be discriminated against and sacrificed. Often, the authorities face no consequences in doing so."
