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Ai Weiwei Lego

Fans come to the rescue of dissident artist Ai Weiwei after Lego bricks it

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By John Glenday, Reporter

October 29, 2015 | 2 min read

Lego fans have come to the rescue of dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei after the Danish toy firm refused to supply any bricks to his latest installation, fearing that it would be used as a political statement.

Lego, Ai Weiwei

The snub prompted the Royal Academy of Arts to issue an appeal to the artist’s supporters to donate their own Lego bricks to the cause, using a second-hand BMW 5 series sedan as an official collection point outside the gallery – where spare bricks can be tossed through an open sunroof.

This joins similar collection points around the world, all BMW saloon cars, including at his studio in Beijing; the Martin-Gropius-Bau in Berlin; the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne and the Brooklyn Museum in New York.

Weiwei’s fallout with Lego was revealed earlier this week when the artist posted a picture of Lego bricks in a toilet after his request to use the product was turned down.

He said: “As a powerful corporation, Lego is an influential cultural and political actor in the globalised economy with questionable values. Lego’s refusal to sell its product to the artist is an act of censorship and discrimination.”

No reason was given for the refusal has been given officially but Weiwei suggests it may be connected with plans to construct a Legoland in China – something the company denies.

Ai Weiwei Lego

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