Back
العربية
Ai Weiwei
Ai Weiwei · Jindřich Nosek (NoJin), CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Person

Ai Weiwei

b. 1957

Chinese Conceptual artist (born 1957)

Born
18 May 1957 · Beijing
Part ofChina1,046 BCE – today

Life timeline

Their life from birth to death. On the timeline, world events of the time are shown faintly.

Showing 79 years
  1. 18 May 1957BornBorn in Beijing
  2. 2010AwardThe Glass of Reason
  3. 2012AwardVáclav Havel Prize
  4. 2015AwardAmbassador of Conscience Award
  5. 2016AwardLennonOno Grant for Peace
  6. 2021AwardJoan B. Cendrós International Award

Loading from Wikipedia and Wikidata…

Meanwhile in the world

Major world events during their lifetime (1957 – today).

  1. 19581958 FIFA World Cup
  2. 1959Antarctic Treaty System
  3. 19621962 FIFA World Cup
  4. 1962Cuban Missile Crisis
  5. 19661966 FIFA World Cup
  6. 1966 – 1976Cultural Revolution
  7. 1968Prague Spring
  8. 1969Apollo 11 Moon landing
  9. 19721972 Summer Olympics
  10. 19741974 FIFA World Cup
  11. 19781978 FIFA World Cup
  12. 1978 – 1979Iranian Revolution
  13. 1979 – 1989Soviet–Afghan War
  14. 1980 – 1988Iran–Iraq War
  15. 19841984 Summer Olympics
  16. 1985Schengen Agreement
  17. 19891989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre
  18. 1989Fall of the Berlin Wall
  19. 19901990 FIFA World Cup
  20. 1991Dissolution of the Soviet Union
  21. 19941994 FIFA World Cup
  22. 1994 – 1996First Chechen War
  23. 19981998 FIFA World Cup
  24. 2001 – 2021War in Afghanistan
  25. 2003 – 2011Iraq War
  26. 20042004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
  27. 20062006 FIFA World Cup
  28. 20082008 Summer Olympics
  29. 2008Russo-Georgian War
  30. 20102010 Haiti earthquake
  31. 2010 – 2012Arab Spring
  32. 20112011 Norway attacks
  33. 2011Libyan civil war
  34. 2011 – 2024Syrian civil war
  35. 20122012 Summer Olympics
  36. 20142014 FIFA World Cup
  37. 2014Russo-Ukrainian war
  38. 2015Paris Agreement
  39. 20182018 FIFA World Cup
  40. 2020COVID-19 pandemic

Biography

Ai Weiwei ( EYE way-WAY; Chinese: 艾未未; pinyin: Ài Wèiwèi, IPA: [âɪ wêɪ.wêɪ]; born 28 August 1957) is a Chinese contemporary artist, documentarian and activist. Ai grew up in the far northwest of China, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his father's exile. As an activist, he has been openly critical of the Chinese government and its stance on democracy and human rights. He investigated government corruption and cover-ups, in particular the Sichuan schools corruption scandal following the collapse of "tofu-dreg schools" in the 2008 earthquake. In April 2011, Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport for "economic crimes", and detained for 81 days without charge. Ai Weiwei emerged as a figure in Chinese cultural development, an architect of Chinese modernism, and a prominent political commentator.

Ai Weiwei has created political sculptures, photographs, and public works. Since being allowed to leave China in 2015, he has lived in Portugal, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

Text from the Wikipedia article Ai Weiwei, CC BY-SA 4.0

About this information

Dates and life events come from this person’s Wikidata entry.

We only show events that the sources give a date for. Anything without a date is left out rather than guessed.