10. Ai Weiwei: Challenging Authority with Art
Ai Weiwei, a Chinese artist and activist, merges art with activism to confront censorship and human rights abuses in China. His 2010 installation “Sunflower Seeds” at London’s Tate Modern featured over 100 million handcrafted porcelain seeds, symbolizing individualism within mass conformity. In 2011, following his arrest, a global “Free Ai Weiwei” street art campaign emerged, with slogans like “Who’s afraid of Ai Weiwei?” appearing worldwide (en.wikipedia.org). This movement parallels the provocative street art of Banksy, both using public spaces to challenge authority and provoke thought.
