Artist Ai Weiwei Accepts Vaclav Havel Award for Creative Dissent

In many interviews, Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has discussed the need for the West to support human rights in China. In a recent interview with BBC, Ai Weiwei stated, “The West should remember to promote, to protect the basic rights, insisting on human rights.” When asked if China was changing, he replied, “I don’t think any state can sacrifice those very essential ways like freedom of expression or freedom of communication to achieve real social development.”

In his acceptance speech for the Vaclav Havel award, Ai Weiwei discusses the struggle of artists for freedom of expression. “I think it is absolutely necessary for artists or writers to really react to this kind of inhuman condition. Only be doing that are we helping to build up a better society…We have to think we are not alone, and we share our values to a lot of people, even the established community…”

For those who want more, check out this great trailer for the film Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry.