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Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry
Study Guide
Sheena Abboud and Simon Forst
University of British Columbia
EEC !"#$%%B
&r' Fran( Fen)
*uly +,- +.#"
+
+
/ntrodu(tion
0he world is not (han)in) if you don1t shoulder the burden of
responsibility'2 Ai Weiwei
Ai Weiwei is a Chinese artist and so(ial
a(tivist' 3e is widely re)arded as
China4s most famous international
artist and most vo(al )overnment
(riti(' Ai uses his art- so(ial media
su(h as witter- and video
do(umentaries su(h as Never Sorry to
(riti(i5e the Chinese Government4s
human ri)hts and anti$demo(ra(y
ideolo)ies' 6Never Sorry 77C- n'd'8
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry is a
do(umentary by Ameri(an freelan(e
9ournalist and do(umentary :lmma;er
Alison <layman' <layman has
produ(ed = and radio stories for >BS-
the New ?or; imes- and National
>ubli( @adio 6N>@8' <layman moved to
China in +..% and wor;ed on various
pro9e(ts before meetin) Ai in +..A'
She produ(ed a short video for one of
his photo)raphy eBhibitions and was
then )iven unpre(edented a((ess to
Ai Weiwei for the neBt three years'
<layman was able to follow Ai as he
installed ma9or art eBhibitions in 3aus
der <unst in Cuni(h and the ate
Codern in 7ondon- investi)ated the
Chinese Government4s (over up of the
Si(huan EarthDua;e tra)edy- and had
various run$ins with Chinese poli(e-
in(ludin) bein) beaten- havin) his
studio demolished and :nally bein)
arrested and se(retly detained for
over two months' 6About- n'd'8
"
7earnin)
Eut(ome
s:
+
Social Justice
/dentify the fundamental prin(iples of demo(ra(y
Apply (riti(al thin;in) s;ills to so(ial 9usti(e issues- situations- and topi(s
Use an ethi(al perspe(tive to analy5e so(ial 9usti(e issues
Understand how belief systems aFe(t perspe(tives in relation to so(ial 9usti(e
issues
Analy5e the (auses of so(ial in9usti(e
&is(uss the (onseDuen(es of so(ial in9usti(e
!ine "rts
/dentify how (onteBt inGuen(es the (ontent and form of various art forms
Understand how artists (reate meanin) and eFe(t in +$& and "$& media
3ow evolvin) te(hnolo)ies eFe(t produ(tion and distribution of ima)es
H
>re$=iewin) Iuestions:
3ow is the Chinese system of )overnment diFerent from the Canadian systemJ
What for(es (an suppress or ta;e away the ri)hts of humansJ
What human ri)hts do you feel are sometimes suppressed in our (ountryJ
What is a dissidentJ
Why are human ri)hts )roups (on(erned about the arrestin) of dissidentsJ
What mi)ht be (onsidered Kanti$Government behaviourK in CanadaJ
What human ri)hts- if any- do you feel are bein) 9eopardi5ed in CanadaJ
+
#re$
%ie&in
g
=iew the :lm
trailer here:
!
%
#ost$
%ie&in
g
>ost$=iewin) &is(ussion
Iuestions:
What do you thin; about the s(ale of
Ai Weiwei1s artJ Would it have a
diFerent impa(t if his pie(es were
smallerJ
What is Ai Weiwei tryin) to symboli5e
by destroyin) a Neolithi( =aseJ
Why did the Chinese Government
allow him to do so mu(h before
arrestin) himJ
What4s the diFeren(e between
what Ai Weiwei does and 7iu Liaobo-
who has been senten(ed to eleven
years in prisonJ
/s so(ial media the ;ey to demo(ra(yJ
Why or why notJ
Why would the )overnment hide how
many students died in the Si(huan
earthDua;eJ
Why is it important for Ai to :le a
lawsuit a)ainst his beatin)- when he
;nows nothin) will happenJ
What do his sunGower seeds
symboli5eJ
Why was his Shan)hai studio
destroyedJ
What do you thin; happened to Ai
while he was in(ar(erated- and why
was he let outJ
hrou)hout the :lm- Ai is often
referred to as 0ea(her Ai2' Why do
you thin; some had (hosen this title
for himJ
EBplain Ai4s Duote K/ thin; bein)
+
M
+
>ost$=iewin) A(tivity
3ave ea(h student put their names on a pie(e of paper and spend +$" minutes writin)
down what they thin; about the Canadian Government' ell them that they will be as;ed
to share this with the (lass' Give an eBample- su(h as "I think the Government is"
When they are :nished- as; a few students to read out what is written on hisNher pie(e of
paper' As; the rest of the (lass what they thin; about what the person has said'
Show the students the Canadian Charter of @i)hts and Freedoms 6http:NNlaws$
lois'9usti(e')('(aNen)NConstNpa)e$#!'html8 with a fo(us on Se(tion +6b8 and eBplain that
they have 9ust eBer(ised their @i)ht to Freedom of eBpression' /f there is time- dis(uss
what other areas of the Charter relate to Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry' hen show them the
United Nations4 Universal &e(laration of 3uman @i)hts
6http:NNwww'un'or)NenNdo(umentsNudhrN8 and (ompare how Canada4s Charter a)rees with
Arti(le #,'
En a se(ond pie(e of paper- have the students spend +$" minutes writin) down
somethin) that they would li;e to (han)e about the Canadian Government' Give and
eBample- su(h as I would change the way the government runs the country by...
A)ain- have "$H to read aloud what they have written' Write these students4 names on
the board' When they are :nished- announ(e that if the students listed on the board
lived in a (ountry that restri(ted freedom of eBpression- su(h as China- they (ould have
)one to 9ail for what they had 9ust said'
. &is(ussion:3ave students wor; in pairs and list ways in whi(h freedom of
eBpression (an be eBer(ised' Write these all up on the board'
#ost$
%ie&in
g
A
"t
Supplementa
l A(tivities
Use the follo&ing
activities to further
elaborate upon themes
covered in the 'lm. Use
the follo&ing resources
to support each activit(.
#8Self$EBpression throu)h
So(ial Cedia
China's censorship can
never deeat the Internet
by Ai Weiwei
6http:NNwww'the)uardian'(omN(ommenti
sfreeNliberty(entralN+.#+NaprN#%N(hina$
(ensorship$internet$freedom8
+8Artist Study
>hoto slideshow of Ai1s
wor;
"83ollywood in China
/ron Can " China railer
6http:NNwww'youtube'(omNwat(hJvO3$
tSmEEAd#A8
/ron Can " railer
6http:NNwww'youtube'(omNwat(hJ
vO<e#?">,&.B(8
Arti(le: /ron Can " is latest
3ollywood movie to (ourt
Chinese (ensors
Arti(le: /ron Can " smashes
openin) boB oP(e re(ord in
China
Arti(le: KWhen Ni)ht FallsK and
K&9an)o Un(hainedK: Covie
(ensorship in China
Arti(le: 7i)htsQ CameraQ
CensorshipQ 3ollywood fed up
with Chinese Kbri(; wallK
/n his arti(le- Chinas censorship can never deeat the
Internet! Ai Weiwei dis(usses the role of the /nternet R
mainly so(ial media Ron fa(ilitatin) the freedom of
(reativity and self$eBpression for the people of China'
#8 @esear(h and eBplain one other eBample where
(iti5ens used so(ial media to spea; out a)ainst an
oppressive )overnment'
+8 EBamine the a((ompanyin) illustration to the arti(le
6above8S eBplain how this illustration supports the
messa)e of Ai Weiwei1s arti(le'
"8 /t1s your turn to spea; out a)ainst an a(tion made by
your )overnment' Write your own manifesto
eBplainin) what you disa)ree with and why' EBplain
your plan of a(tion- in(ludin) whi(h media outlets you
would use- to spread your messa)e and ta;e a(tion'
0And if the /nternet is
un(ontrollable- freedom will win'2
R Ai Weiwei
Self$EBpression
throu)h So(ial Cedia
,
Artist Study: Ai Weiwei
EBplain whi(h one of the three wor;s below stands out to you and
why'
"above# 0Ai Weiwei- shown here on *une
".- +.., in China- was arrested while
boardin) a Gi)ht from Bei9in) to 3on)
<on) on April H- +.##- as part of a
(ra(;down to suppress a feared uprisin)
in China' As a(tivists moved for a *asmine
@evolution- inspired by the protests and
re)ime (han)es in the Ciddle East- the
(ommunist nation has be)un to arrest
writers- a(tivists- blo))ers and other
dissidents'2 6Flana)an- p'%8
+
"right# 0Ai poses amid his wor;
K@ooted Upon-K whi(h is made of #..
pie(es of trees- at the K3aus der
<unstK 63ouse of Art8 durin) the
presentation of his eBhibition KSo
SorryK on E(tober ,- +.., in Cuni(h'2
6Flana)an- p'#H8
"above# 0Ai4s K@ememberin)K at the 3aus der <unst ahead of the eBhibition
KSo Sorry-K on E(t' A- +..,- in Cuni(h' K@ememberin)K is a memorial to the
vi(tims of the devastatin) Cay +..A Dua;e in Si(huan provin(e that ;illed
!-".. (hildren' /t is (omposed of ,-... ba(;pa(;s in :ve (olors that write
out a senten(e in Chinese told to the artist by a mother of one of the Dua;e
vi(tims: KFor seven years she lived happily on this Earth'K2 6Flana)an- p'#A8
#.
3ollywood in China
/n order to appease (ensorship re)ulations
in China- 3ollywood :lms have been
released with alternate versions of bi)
name titles' Cost re(ently- /ron Can "
added bonus foota)e to in(lude Chinese
(ontent' Wat(h the trailers below and see
if you (an pinpoint the (han)es' Why do
you thin; these (han)es were madeJ
U< and North Ameri(an railer
/nternational China railer

@eferen(es
Ai Weiwei' 6+.#+- April #%8' Chinas censorship can never deeat the Internet. he Guardian' @etrieved from
http:NNwww'the)uardian'(omN(ommentisfreeNliberty(entralN+.#+NaprN#%N(hina$(ensorship$internet$freedom
British Columbia Cinistry of Edu(ation' 6+..+8' $isual %rts && and &'( %rt )oundations* +tudio %rts'
@etrieved from
http:NNwww'b(ed')ov'b('(aNirpNpdfsNartsTedu(ationN+..+visualarts###+Tartfoundstudioarts'pdf
British Columbia Cinistry of Edu(ation' 6+..A8' +ocial ,ustice &'' @etrieved from
http:NNwww'b(ed')ov'b('(aNirpNpdfsNso(ialTstudiesN+..Aso(ial9usti(e#+'pdf
Flana)an- E' 6+.#"- Cay ++8' %rtist %i -eiwei answers to .& days in China prison( /roanity0laced heavy
metal "+lideshow( %rtist +trikes a 1erve#. Behind the Wall' NBC News' @etrieved from
http:NNbehindthewall'nb(news'(omNTnewsN+.#"N.!N++N#AH#MA!!$artist$ai$weiweis$answer$to$A#$days$in$
(hina$prison$profanity$la(ed$heavy$metalJlite

3uman @i)hts Wat(h' 6+.##8' @i)ht Words ##: Freedom of EBpression 7esson >lan' @etrieved from
http:NNwww'ri)htwords'or)'u;N:lesN7essonTplanT@i)htTwordsT##'pdf
Never Sorry 77C' 6n'd'8' About the Film' @etrieved from http:NNaiweiweineversorry'(omNindeB'html
About' 6n'd8' /n Alison <layman: Freelan(e *ournalist and &o(umentary Filmma;er' @etrieved from
http:NNalison;layman'(omNabout'php