Chinese artist Ai Weiwei disappears

5 April 2011

Ai Weiwei's art installation of 100 million hand-painted porcelain "Sunflower Seeds" is on view at London's Tate Modern through May 2.

(Photo by Tate Photography, © Ai Weiwei)

Chinese authorities have not disclosed the location of artist and social activist Ai Weiwei since detaining him on Sunday at Beijing's airport. The Communist government in China has been stepping up arrests of political dissenters following uprisings in the Middle East.

The internationally-known artist, a co-designer of the Olympic "Bird's Nest" stadium whose art has been shown in galleries and museums worldwide, is a vocal critic of Chinese politics and has been arrested before.

Prior to his disappearance, Ai sent out daily political messages to his 75,000 followers on Twitter. His Twitter account has not been active since Sunday, his cell phone is turned off, and his wife has not been informed of his whereabouts.

Currently, Ai's “Sunflower Seeds” exhibition, a commissioned installation of more than 100 million porcelain sunflower seeds hand-painted by more than 1,000 Chinese artists, is on display at London’s Tate Modern.

How did this high-profile artist become a marked man in China? The Christian Science Monitor breaks down his story here.

More News Feed Headlines

Julien Hudson, 1811-1844 American. Creole Boy With A Moth, 1835, oil on canvas, courtesy of a private collection; photo courtesy of Fodera Fine Art Conservation, Ltd.

First Retrospective of Early African American Artist Julien Hudson at Worcester Art Museum

A groundbreaking exhibition opened Dec. 9 at the Worcester Art Museum entitled “In Search of Julien Hudson: Free Artist of Color in Pre-Civil War New Orleans.” Julien Hudson (1811-1844) is the second-earliest documented portrait painter of African descent to work in the United States. Little-known today, Hudson died an untimely, somewhat mysterious death, and only fragments of his oeuvre survive to tell his story.

'May,' by Alexander Motyl, $25/month to rent ($550 to buy), artsicle.com.

Virtual Art Buying Gets a Boost From New Websites

A bevy of new online ventures are helping to streamline the process of buying art for both beginners and established collectors, facilitating keyboard-click access to information and galleries.

An installation view of the new Tuscaloosa Museum of Art: Home of the Westervelt Collection.

New Tuscaloosa Museum of Art to Showcase Important American Art

Last week, the Tuscaloosa Museum of Art opened its doors, finally giving a home to the art collection assembled by Jack Warner. Earlier this year, the Jack Warner Foundation and Westervelt Company separated, leaving the fate undetermined as to where their respective collections would be housed. Several key works were sold by the Westervelt Co. at auction and privately. Now, more than 800 pieces...

Portrait of a Man and Woman in an Interior, painted about 1666, by Eglon van der Neer (Dutch, 1634–1703). Oil on panel. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Seth K. Sweetser Fund.

Museum Curator as Art Detective

At the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Victoria Reed is the first and only endowed curator of provenance at an American museum. Since 2010, her role has been to research objects in the museum's collections, and new acquisitions, in order to determine the right of ownership. At times, Reed's findings have led to restitution...