"1001 Chairs for Weiwei" - demonstration at the Chinese Consulate 4-17-11
The brilliant Chinese avant garde artist Ai Weiwei crashed into my consciousness this past week. First I encountered his sublime piece, "Western Screetch Owl Habitats" installed in a giant cyprus tree in the Presidio Habitats show (see previous post) and now I receive an email from Haines Gallery with the all caps title RELEASE AI WEIWEI, inviting me to a demonstration on Sunday 4-17 at the Chinese Consulate on Languna Street.

Time Magazine article 4-25-11
Ai Weiwei is China's hottest modern artist, with a current exhibition of 100 million porcelain sunflower seeds at London's Tate Modern Museum. His collection of bronze animal heads- replicas of those looted from Beijing's Summer Palace by French and British troops in 1860 is ready to go on display in New York City's Central Park next month. He does architecture, sculpture, film, and "truth investigations" that challenge government sanctioned "Reality". To dig into Ai's wide ranging work is to encounter an awe inspiring spirit and intelligence that electrifies, activates and encourages. Ai is at the top of his/the game of artistic creativity, fame and fortune. He continues to lay it all on the line to warn of the totalitarian darkside as his Mother Culture rushes headlong into the spell of hyper materialism.
Ai, who has been relentlessly active on Twitter (78,000 followers) is now silent, held by the Chinese Government in a place unknown. They claim he has committed "economic crimes", ie some type of tax infraction. Human rights activists are very concerned as Weiwei's disappearance is only the latest in an increasing crackdown on dissent as China prepares for a transition in leadership next year.
Empty Chairs for Weiwei at the Chinese Consulate.
I arrive at the Consulate at 1 PM sharp. In a few minutes people begin to congregate with their portable chairs in hand. The idea is "to reenact Ai Weiwei's project Fairytale: 1001 Qing Dynasty Wooden Chairs - an installation comprised of 1001 late Ming and Qing Dynasty wooden chairs at Documenta 12 in 2007 in Kassel, Germany - in front of Chinese embassies and consulates around the world.". The presence of the people at this place with an open message is what is important.
One Chinese reporter, Thomas Wu of The Epoch Times, conducted thoughtful interviews with several participants, including organizer Cheryl Haines. Haines told Wu she "adored" Weiwei and cried all day when she heard of his detention.

Cheryl Haines of San Francisco's Haines Gallery at the Chinese Consulate. Her gallery is one of two US reps for Ai's work. She sounded the local alarm that gathered those in solidarity with the Weiwei.
Thomas Wu of TheEpochTimes.com interviews participants- mostly artists and a few activists such as Fang Zheng whose legs were crushed by Chinese army's tanks at Tiananmen Square.
Fang Zheng, Tiananmen Square activist.
In a recent TED talk, Weiwei said that ignoring China's human rights violations and heavy handed totalitarian control was not a healthy situation - for anyone involved. While recovering from a police beating and cranial surgery in 2009, Ai said "Everybody has worries, but being scared will not help the situation. More people need to speak out and participate".

April 25th Time Magazine article-"The Activist-Artist of China"
More photos from the demonstration at the Chinese Consulate.