The Chinese government blames Aya Weiwei tax evasion. Location of four people from the surrounding Aya Weiwei remains unknown. A U.S. museum has been criticized for co-operation with China

Ai Weiwei beside his installation "Template»
Source: artinfo.com

After weeks of silence and inarticulate speech the Chinese government issued a formal statement of reasons for detention of the artist Aya Weiwei. The government's news agency Xinhua published May 20 by saying the police a short message: "The company, controlled by the artist AEM Weiwei, has not paid a" large amount "of taxes. In addition, according to preliminary investigation, the company Beijing Fake Cultural Development Ltd. deliberately spoiled accounting records. " And added: "While Hay was under supervision in the community, it has been provided in accordance with the law, from family members».

That's what turns out to be hidden behind previous streamlined wording of "economic crimes", voiced by the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC on April 7 . Sister artist Ge Gao (Gao Ge) believes that this charge could not justify such a long detention Aya: "He is neither a legal representative or the executive director of the company. That is, even if the entity charged with economic crimes, Aya Weiwei should not delay. " Company Beijing Fake Cultural Development Ltd., Aya, projects, generally registered in the name belongs to his wife, Liu Qing.

Gao Ge also said that in addition to statements Xinhua family any artist law in not informed about the reasons for detention Aya. Strange sounds and the phrase "he was afforded the right to meet with family members, because there was only a brief meeting with his wife last week, and all the rest of the Aya Weiwei kept in isolation from the outside world and its current whereabouts are unknown to family members. This single interview, according to some journalists, the Chinese government wants to legalize the detention of the artist and pave the way for prosecution.

One representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, whose words led Artinfo, Aya puts Weiwei one series with the Dalai Lama and the artist-dissident, Nobel Peace Prize in 2010, Liu Xiaobo (Liu Xiaobo): «Do not talk to them, to understand China. Talk to the Chinese people and Chinese government. They [the three] did not love their country. And Chinese people do not like them. " However, an employee of the Ministry then reiterated that Ai Weiwei is under investigation strictly because of "economic crimes" and not because of lack of patriotism.

Meanwhile, as yet unknown the whereabouts of four people from the surrounding Aya Weiwei, who was detained shortly after his arrest. Their family members tried to contact the police a statement about the disappearance of people, but to accept the application denied. Among the detained former journalist called Tao Wen (Wen Tao), lost his job after a series of materials about the artists who are protesting against damage of their property. His friends say that Wen Tao did not work for Aya, and acted as a freelance journalist. He was detained the same day that Aya was taken away in an unknown direction, and so far away can not hear anything. Also missing driver Aya Tszinsun Zhang (Zhang Jinsong), accountant Minfen Hu (Hu Mingfen) and designer Chzhengan Liu (Liu Zhenggang). It is possible that they want to get to testify against Aya.

As you know, against the actions of the Chinese government's act of governmental and public organizations worldwide. AI wrote a lot about it (read here , here and here ). The other day, for example, began rally in support of Aya from the British newspaper Times .

But such publicity is a downside: in jeopardy have been numerous US-China cultural projects. In light of what is happening in China "crackdown", the question of further cooperation with the Chinese American museums go to the domain of morality.

For example, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts has long planned a program of cultural exchange with the Forbidden City in Beijing . Museum director Alex Nayrdzhes (Alex Nyerges) in an interview with blogger Tyler Green (Tyler Green) protects the project concepts such as "promoting better mutual understanding." Naturally, the project for the preparation of which took years, offensively close. However, such items Artinfo his position has been criticized.

In the difficult situation he found himself as the Milwaukee Art Museum, which together with China planned to conduct a program of cultural events "The Chinese summer." It had to be exhibition of imperial subjects, previously shown at the Metropolitan Museum, as well as lectures on Chinese contemporary art and installation artist Zhang Wang. Representatives of the art world give out advice on how to enter the museum but the museum some of it is not easier (as long as the director did not give an answer on this issue).

But any project related to AEM Weiwei On the contrary, is bound to succeed. Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, for example, held on May 19 the daily protest: a pair of volunteers for an hour sitting on two chairs belonging to the series "The marble chairs" Aya Weiwei. So once again they decided to draw public attention to the fate of the artist.

material was prepared by Maria Onuchina, AI

Source: china.org.cn , artinfo.com , artinvestment.ru