Though it's been three years since the Chinese government confiscated Ai Weiwei's passport, international support for the artist and political activist remains strong. Just weeks ago, Shepard Fairey honored the Chinese dissident artist with a poster, created in conjunction with Friends of Ai Weiwei. The art world as a whole has called on China to free Ai Weiwei, who remains confined to his home country despite a massive solo exhibition opening in Berlin and an upcoming retrospective at the Brooklyn Museum.
Now, PEN American Center is staging a rally at the Brooklyn Public Library April 10. Together with Friends of Ai Weiwei and the public library, PEN Presents invites all writers, artists, and supporters to come out and protest Beijing's attempts to silence outspoken figures like Ai Weiwei, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Liu Xiaobo and wife Liu Xia, and Uyghur scholar Ilham Tohti.
Take a Stand for Free Expression in China will kick off at 7 p.m. at the steps of the Brooklyn Library at Grand Army Plaza, beginning with a reading of the aforementioned figures' writings. Afterwards, participants will proceed to Brooklyn Museum for a special video message from Ai Weiwei himself. The never-before-seen video will be projected on the museum facade by NYC Light Brigade. For more info, check out PEN Presents' Facebook page.
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