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Ai Weiwei on Censorship
A Sunday Times Bestseller
Brief Description
A thought-provoking work by a singular voice, this short, sharp essay invites us to critically reconsider power, ideology and the boundaries of free speech. Invisible, invasive and widely taken for granted, censorship is a globalized force as much driven by commercial interests as political agendas. Ai...
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Ai Weiwei on Censorship
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See moreArtist and activist Ai Weiwei examines censorship and self-censorship, through the lens of his compelling personal history, offering readers profound insights into an important topic of current and perpetual relevance.
A thought-provoking work by a singular voice, this short, sharp essay invites us to critically reconsider power, ideology and the boundaries of free speech
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Description
A thought-provoking work by a singular voice, this short, sharp essay invites us to critically reconsider power, ideology and the boundaries of free speech.
Invisible, invasive and widely taken for granted, censorship is a globalized force as much driven by commercial interests as political agendas. Ai Weiwei on Censorship by Ai Weiwei - artist, activist and one of the world's most influential cultural figures - has first-hand experience of its power. In this urgent piece of writing, he makes a rallying cry for free speech in an age shaped by big data, mass surveillance and intrusive new technologies of control.
Ai Weiwei examines how censorship persists both in the overt propagandizing and redactions of authoritarian regimes, as well as subtly within democratic frameworks, exploring how international corporations, cultural institutions, social media and so-called ideologies of 'freedom' have provided fertile ground for new, more insidious, suppressions.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780500030820
Publisher: Thames & Hudson Ltd
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 29 January 2026
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Thames & Hudson Ltd
Illustration: 10 Illustrations, color
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 110.0mm
Height: 176.0mm
Weight: 180g
Pages: 88
About the Author
Ai Weiwei is a Chinese contemporary artist, documentarian and activist. He is the recipient of the 2022 Praemium Imperiale for sculpture from the Japan Art Association in Tokyo, the 2015 Ambassador of Conscience Award from Amnesty International and the 2012 Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent from the Human Rights Foundation. His most recent book is 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows.
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