Ai Weiwei's 100 million porcelain replicas of sunflower seeds

It was on October, 2010 that Tate Gallery opened the exhibition. 

Even though I've not been there I've seen so many pictures that I have in my imagination the sound of my feet walking on these sea of seeds, the feeling of having them on my hands, the amazement of watching the space...

It is only my imagination but it is already a lot especially in an era where seeds are in the center of a turmoil.

I look at this girl and wish her a great future.

Ai Weiwei is a political dissident explained:

"explained the sunflower was an integral part of Chinese Communist propaganda during the Cultural Revolution, where Mao Zedong was the sun and the people, as sunflowers, turned towards him. What the artist, who is also a political dissident, wanted was to bring another context to the popular Chinese street snack, as “a space for pleasure, friendship and kindness during a time of extreme poverty, repression and uncertainty.” 

The article by Poe also explains:

"The immensity and scale is unfathomable unless you’re there in person. Titled “Sunflower Seeds”, the latest work from famed Chinese conceptual artist Ai Weiwei, it features more than 100 million replicas of, as the title described, sunflower seeds made from porcelain. As part of the Unilever Series at London’s Tate Modern, the exhibition carpets, at a depth of 4-inch, the largest space of museum, the Turbine Hall. The exhibit took around 1,600 skilled artisans from the city of Jingdezhen, an area known for its fine porcelain production in China, a total of 2 years to produced.  Weigh around 150-ton in total, each seed was molded, fired at the kiln, hand-painted, re-fired, and repeat, a process involved 20 to 30 steps."  (emphasis added)

Entire article here.

Artist and activist Ai Weiwei is released in China after 81 days in Chinese prison

After 81 days in Chinese prison the artist and activist Ai Weiwei is back at this studio as the Reuter's picture shows. I knew Ai Weiwei because of videos, statements and interviews the British sculptor Anish Kapoor, that I like very much, did to denounce Ai Weiwei imprisonment. In one of them he rejects a British exhibition in China that would take place at Tienanmen Square as a protest for Ai Weiwei imprisonment.  
I loved Weiwei  work immediately and felt ashamed I didn't know him yet. 
He has a great work and is a very bright man, a man of dignity and integrity. Still that is the way Chinese government treats one of it's most important artist because they cannot listen to any phrase that shows any kind of dissent.
The most ridiculous example: this blog. After I published two posts this one and this the blog was blocked in China.  What does this blog have of importance? What is written in these posts that is so offensive? The truth?
Yes. Chinese people in general don't know about Tienanmen Square, 1989, when the Chinese government massacred young people in one of the most cowards ways.  

Now with Lybia and Syria and others it is hard to rank who is the worst.
But having these kind of massacres, I'm listening to the TV and they are reporting crackdowns. How to describe it? 
I changed the subject.
But as Kapoor said in May, 10 for BBC about Ai Weiwei prison and he don't even know him personally:

"It's a month now that the poor man has been held without a voice, but not only that, his family doesn't know where he is," said Kapoor.

"This is not a situation that is acceptable in any circumstances.

Kapoor, left, has called on the art world to support Ai Weiwei

"It does bear witness to the barbarity of governments if they're that paranoid that they have to put away artists. It's a ridiculous situation."

Kapoor exhorted the artistic class and galleries and museums to be active in situations like that saying that museums, for instance could be closed for one day.
I agree with Kapoor. Too much is happening and I don't see artists and those people who belong to the "cultural elite" doing what they used to do: say "NO".
"This make us back to a Soviet-style time when the voice of artists... were seen as being dangerous."
Kappor said.
I remembered dictatorship times in South America when artists also "disappeared". This is unacceptable and we have to say it repeatedly: "NO!" NEVER AGAIN!"


Welcome back Ai Weiwei! We'll be watching Chinese government watching you.