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发帖数: 4978 | 1 又要把艾未未接德国去了
Ai Weiwei accepts teaching job in Germany
The leading Chinese dissident artist Ai Wei Wei has accepted a teaching post
at a Berlin university, a month after he was released from detention. It is
uncertain, however, whether the Chinese authorities will allow him to leave
as he remains under tight surveillance.
Ai, who has endured what he described as "extreme conditions" and an 81-day
detention in his home country, said on Thursday he was happy to take the
offer of a professorship in Germany and that he would continue to focus on
freedom of expression in his art.
His lengthy incarceration sparked an international outcry.
"After 81 days put away, I was happy to accept this invitation," he said by
phone. "It's an important position, especially when I'm in such a difficult
situation."
Ai will not be able to leave China for at least a year because he is under
investigation for alleged tax violations and facing tight restrictions.
"My passport has been taken away," he said. "I am not allowed to leave
Beijing. I have to report to the police before I go shopping or to a
restaurant or to meet friends. They usually allow me to go, but of course I
am followed by plainclothes officers."
Ai was taken away by the authorities at Beijing airport on 3 April. He
emerged on 22 June, saying he was not allowed to speak about the conditions
of his detention. He had clearly lost weight and is now recuperating.
"I have to adjust myself – my body. I was in extreme conditions. I have to
spend more time with my family," he said.
Since his release, the previously outspoken Ai has concentrated on his art
rather than his activism, but he said his focus was unchanged despite his
recent hardship.
"My art will never change. It is deep in my bones. But it has made many
things clearer. I have been working in the direction of freedom of
expression. I think that is most important for my art."
The authorities are continuing to put pressure on Ai and his associates. At
a hearing on Thursday, officials told Ai's wife, Lu Qing, and other
representatives of his design firm, Beijing Fake Culture Development Ltd,
that the company had not paid corporate taxes for a decade.
Ai will remain under surveillance and tight restrictions until at least 22
June 2012. His status after that is unclear.
The president of the Berlin University of the Arts, Martin Rennert, is
optimistic that the artist will be able to take up a guest professorship.
Rennart said on the university's website: "We of course also interpret the
acceptance as a positive signal as far as his present situation is concerned
and are confident that Ai Weiwei will start working at our university in
the near future."
A spokeswoman for the university said on Thursday that the decision to offer
Weiwei the professorship was made in April, soon after his arrest.
"We only heard a week or so later that the news had reached him," Claudia
Assmann said. "And then three days ago we received a written confirmation
that he would accept the professorship, not from him directly but from an
intermediary." Assmann said Ai said he would very much like to take up the
position and felt very honoured.
The decision to offer him the post was in part a way of showing support for
him as a dissident, which was then given greater impetus by his arrest," she
said.
"In December we first had talks about whether we should try and involve Ai
Wei Wei, an unbelievably interesting personality, with our university. That
was at a point at which, yes he was always very critical of the regime but
it was not a question of life and limb, the pressure from the Chinese regime
was not so much in the foreground. It was then accelerated by his arrest,"
Assmann said.
"The process of making the offer to him was very advanced, and then when he
was arrested in April we wanted and had to react quickly. The whole thing
was given a bit more impetus in order to then also give him a political
signal."
Asked whether she thought Ai would be able to take up the post, Assman said
that the university was ready for him, but that it remained unclear if the
Chinese authorities would permit him to go.
"We are prepared for him to come. It would naturally give us great pleasure.
It is now up to the Chinese government when he will actually be allowed to
leave the country. But we see it as very positive signal that he is now
obviously in a situation that he can officially issue an acceptance of the
post. We are very confident that it is completely realistic that some day he
will come here and teach," she said.
Ai said he was unclear how long the assignment would last, but it could
initially be for three years.
If Ai is allowed to leave, he would be the second prominent Chinese artist
to move to Berlin after being persecuted at home. Last week, the author Liao
Yiwu arrived in Germany after smuggling himself out of China. He had been
denied an exit visa 17 times. | N*****m
发帖数: 42603 | 2 给个炸药奖才放行
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【在 P*****t 的大作中提到】
: 又要把艾未未接德国去了
: Ai Weiwei accepts teaching job in Germany
: The leading Chinese dissident artist Ai Wei Wei has accepted a teaching post
: at a Berlin university, a month after he was released from detention. It is
: uncertain, however, whether the Chinese authorities will allow him to leave
: as he remains under tight surveillance.
: Ai, who has endured what he described as "extreme conditions" and an 81-day
: detention in his home country, said on Thursday he was happy to take the
: offer of a professorship in Germany and that he would continue to focus on
: freedom of expression in his art.
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