Ai Weiwei's Art Against Censorship“I don't want to be part of this kind of denial of reality. We live in these times. We need to talk” (Klayman). Ai Weiwei is an internationally renowned Chinese artist and activist, and his motivation and determination can be summed up by this quote. In all of his works, Weiwei critically examines the social and administrative problems facing China today. Many of his works feature multiple themes that can be interpreted in different ways. This gives his art a universal appeal and makes it a more effective way to convey his messages to viewers. Ai Weiwei's activist artworks - and activist artworks in general - are important to society because they effectively force the viewer to engage in a process of self-reflection that leads them to consider criticizes one's own beliefs and the world. However, censorship greatly hinders the dissemination of the critical and thought-provoking messages of Ai Weiwei's art and makes his work less effective. To better understand the relationship between Ai Weiwei's activist art and subsequent Communist Party censorship, I will examine Ai Weiwei's influential childhood, his specific brand of activist art, Chinese government censorship, and the effects of censorship on the world. effectiveness of Ai Weiwei's art. Much of Ai Weiwei's activism and artwork was influenced by her experiences growing up. Ai Weiwei lived through a tumultuous period in Chinese history, with the Cultural Revolution, the Tiananmen Square massacre and the opening of China by Deng Xiaoping. Ai Weiwei's father, Ai Qing was a famous poet during the Cultural Revolution. However, he was targeted in the anti-right campaign... middle of paper ... both sides of the story. Ai Weiwei's activist art is effective in spreading his ideas and forcing people to examine their lives. However, its effect is reduced by the strong censorship of the Chinese government. The positive effects of Ai Weiwei's art can be seen by examining and analyzing Remembering and Tournesol Seeds. However, their presence in Europe rather than China is rather discouraging. Censorship is more harmful than beneficial for activist artists like Ai Weiwei, but that doesn't mean activist art is useless. The reaction of the authorities to Ai Weiwei's art and the kind of "immunity" that comes from his fame shows that his art is effective. His ideas might take time to spread; they can only change the mind of one individual at a time. However, over time, like sunflower seeds, individuals can unite and become a great force..