Hanging Man

by Barnaby Martin

In October 2010, Ai Weiwei's Sunflower Seeds appeared in the Turbine Hall in the Tate Modern. In April 2011, he was arrested and held for over two months, in terrible conditions. The most famous living Chinese artist and activist, Weiwei is a figure of extraordinary talent, courage and integrity. From the beginning of his career, he has spoken out against the world's greatest totalitarian regime, in part by creating some of the most beautiful and mysterious artworks of our age, works which have touched millions around the world.





After Weiwei's release, Barnaby Martin dodged the secret police to interview him about his imprisonment and his intentions. Based on these interviews and Martin's own intimate connections with China, Hanging Man is an exploration of Weiwei's life, art and activism. It is a rich picture of the man and his beliefs, what he is trying to communicate with his art, and of his campaign for democracy and accountability in China. It is a book about courage and hope found in the absence of freedom and justice.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Biography, Biography Memoir, History, Asia, China

256 pages, Paperback

First published March 21, 2013

Reviews

[Mircalla]

interessantissima disamina del mondo artistico cinese e delle contraddizioni in seno al concetto di (libera) espressione,
con un accenno storiografico per chi fosse a digiuno di storia cinese,
lettura scorrevole e il personaggio principale emerge in tutta la sua statura artistica e umana,
se non fosse per l'irritante abitudine di chiamare il protagonista col suo nome e non col cognome,
l'autore sa bene che il nome di famigia è Ai, ma continua a chiamarlo Weiwei manco fosse suo fratello...

[Can Yildirmaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ai Weiwei's life and art journey is absolutely astonishing and it is worth reading. However, I did not like the organization of the text and biased critics. It is lacking alternative viewpoints and historical context. Unfortunately, China arguments get ahead of Ai Weiwei's story.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ai wei wei - umělec, disident architekt (v roce 2008 spolupracoval s architekty při stavbě olympijského stadionu. Část života strávil i v USA.

Aj Wej-wej vystavil v londýnské galerii Tate Modern instalaci nazvanou Slunečnicová semínka (ručně malovaná, na práci se podílelo přes 1500 lidí), kterých bylo několik milionů a představovala obyvatele Číny. Člověk mohl semínky volně pohazovat, což měla být do jisté míry satira čínské vlády, která se takovým způsobem chová - nebere ohledy na nikoho.
V roce 2011 byl uvězněn a vyslýchán skoro tři měsíce. Byl zatčen na letišti, když chtěl odletět na Taiwan. Na letišti mu sdělili, že nemůže odletět, protože “jeho odlet by mohl narušit státní bezpečnost”.

Novinář Barnaby Martin vyjíždí do Pekingu za Aj Wei-weiem, aby s ním udělal rozhovor.

Aj Wei-wei se zabývá konceptuálním uměním, které jsem vždy považoval za pseudo-umění, ale díky rozhovoru jsem pochopil jeho význam. Aj Wei-wei se snaží prostřednictvím tohoto umění poukázat na slabá místa čínské kultury/vlády/společnosti a změnit u lidí úhel pohledu a myšlení. Každé jeho dílo má nějaký příběh, jež laikovi uniká a nedokáže následně toto umění ocenit. Příkladem mohou být výše uvedená Slunečnicová semínka, případně Housle s násadou od lopaty (rovněž satira, protože v roce 1966 byly housle v Číně zakázány.

Zpočátku na mě působil novinář Barnaby trochu vtíravým dojmem, protože sotva Ai wei-wei byl propuštěn z vězení (navíc musel s policí uzavřít dohodu, že s nikým o výslechu nepromluví), Barnaby se za ním hned vydává udělat rozhovor. Ai weiům stav rozpoložení dokládá například tato věta: “Sedáme si a hned se pouštíme do rozhovoru. Jenže uplyne pět minut a Aj se za tu dobu ani jednou neusměje. To jsem ještě nikdy nezažil…” Očividně byl z pobytu ve vězení stále otřesený a novinář nemá ani trochu soucitu.

Celá kniha navíc nebyla rozhovorem mezi Barnabym a Ai wei-weiem. Novinář někdy chaoticky přeskakuje od jednoho tématu k druhému (co zřejmě dělám i já při psaní těchto řádků), jednou je to určitý čas v historii (nejzajímavější rozhodně rok 1989, kdy proběhla studentská demonstrace na Náměstí nebeského klidu ještě dříve než u nás, v Číně ale bohužel skončila nezdarem a zabitím několika tisíců lidí, odtud pramení i strach běžných lidí postavit se vládě), podruhé zase jiný umělec či spisovatel, který do knihy nepatří (ale na druhou stranu dává podnět čtenářům, kteří si mohou zjistit po přečtení další informace).
Náhled do čínské kultury rovněž ukazuje, jak funguje čínská policie a státní moc. Po propuštění z vězení Ai weie neustále pronásledují tajní policisté.

Značná část knihy působí dosti pesimisticky, autor o tom sám ví. Nicméně ke konci knihy přibývá optimistických vyhlídek pro samotnou Čínu:
“Mezera mezi stranickými hesly a skutečnými činy už je příliš široká. Hospodářský růst se zpomaluje, lidé na internetu otevřeně probírají selhání a nezdary strany.” Postupné změně ve společnosti autor připisuje nejvíce globalizaci a otevřenému internetu.

Pozitivně rovněž Ai wei-wei hovoří o lidskosti některých policistů:
“Když mi nasazovali pouta, někteří je nechali prostě jen tak zacvaknout, jiný to ale dělali pečlivě. Občas je zapnuli tak volně, že bych mohl vytáhnout ruku. A někteří byli tak ohleduplní, že mi pod želízko pečlivě zastrčili rukáv košile, aby mě netlačil a nedřel do zápěstí. Přitom nic z toho dělat nemuseli. … Samostatně přemýšlení a přestávají systému věřit. Někteří policisté mi vždycky nabízeli čaj. … Vlastně jsem tam zažil spoustu příjemných chvil. Spoustu lidskosti.”

V knize se člověk dozví spoustu zajímavých informací o čínské kultuře a společnosti, a rozhodně stojí za přečtení.

[Betty Pakh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ai Wei Wei is a godly being the universe should protect at all costs.

[Caitlyn G]

This is something they'd make us read in art school

[Kimberly Schlarman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I had a better grasp of modern Chinese history and politics. The first chapter attempts to give some context to Chinese politics and political activism of the past one hundred years but the history given is not chronological and is interspersed with with brief biographical sketches of Ai Weiwei and his father Ai Qing as well as the author’s attempts to get in touch with Ai after his imprisonment. I think a straightforward chronological history would have been more helpful. There are just too many dissidents and revolutions to keep track of. I’ve read that Martin is mistaken in some of his Chinese history--and there are no citations or even a bibliography--so maybe all of the history should be taken with a grain of salt. The second chapter which covers the Cultural Revolution and the history of 20th century art in China is slightly more successful in conveying the cultural context for Ai’s work and life.

The book becomes much more interesting once the interview really starts in Chapter 3. It’s fascinating to read about the Chinese government’s version of “reality” and how artists and writers are struggling to create their own version of that reality through their artwork.

Martin creates an interesting portrait of a polluted and corrupt Beijing but the undercover police agents who follow him and the activists he interviews seem too inept to be real. He certainly offers a glimpse of a China that is rarely reported in the mainstream news. I read a lot about North Korea and was surprised at how some of China’s inner workings don’t seem too different from NK.

I do wish that the interviews with Ai Weiwei were longer and more in-depth. The whole book is very meandering and seems to only lightly touch upon several different aspects of Ai’s life and work. I would have enjoyed a tighter, longer and more in-depth look at the lives of artists in China.

I highly recommend the documentary Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry for those wanting to know more Ai Weiwei and his activism.

[Cédric Raskin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jammer, zo jammer. Dat zo'n grote kunstenaar zo'n belabberd boek verdient. Ai Weiwei heeft een indrukwekkend parcours afgelegd, achter zijn stille baard schuilt enorm veel wijsheid. Met al die wijsheid, levenservaring en intelligente humor kan je een mooi boek schrijven.

Maar Barnaby Martin maakte er een zootje van. Hij springt van de hak op de tak, schetst daarbij wel het bredere kader, maar verliest de lijn van zijn verhaal. Waardoor heel wat verloren gaat - tenzij je zelf een expert bent in de Chinese politiek.

Misschien is het wel te wijten aan de verschrikkelijk slechte Nederlandse vertaling. Je komt soms zinnen tegen waar je zelf van twijfelt of de vertaler die überhaupt wel begrepen heeft.

Twee sterren dus. Allebei voor het subject, Ai Weiwei zelf. Met misschien nog een halve ster voor de schrijver (voor de moeite), en een negatieve halve voor de vertaler.

[Derek Baldwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure I learned much about the art of Ai Weiwei, which I find very interesting and provocative, but I did learn plenty about contemporary China and the uncomfortable position of "the dissident" within it. I doubt a book explicitly on that subject would have caught my attention.

this is definitely worth reading. The central story of Ai Weiwei's arrest is really much like having a version of a play by Samuel Beckett read out to you. Void of meaning, and perhaps it's that emptiness which is the point, who can say? Vaguely terrifying... actually more Pinteresque, I guess.

The descriptions of modern Beijing capture an appalling grimness which I am grateful I only have to read about.

3.5/5

[Linda]

I wish I could rave about this - instead I've written a detailed account of why I can't, despite its unique contribution (the long interview with Ai Weiwei that is at its heart) as part of a review essay that covers this and Rowan Callick's Party Time for the online Sydney Review of Books. The review isn't up yet but I will blog here when it's published.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tedious to read.

Disappointing because it did not keep to the topic. I was interested in learning about modern imprisonment of dissenters in China today because of today's rapidly changing culture. Very little of the book was about his arrest and interrogation. Most was a long, very long, history of cultural change in China from pre-Sun Yatsen China. The information was valuable if you were interested in that. But the title of the book should then have reflected the content.

In addition, the book dealt extensively with his art and how it is a subtle protest against Communist oppression of individuality.

However, I am glad that I read the book because I did gain some insight into how people can use art to express political ideas without actually putting something into print by which they can be convicted and imprisoned.

The book also revealed the philosophy and optimism of many Chinese in dealing with oppression. To many, Ai Weiwei's 81-day interrogation was a minor interruption in his life.

I also gained insight into the indifference and lack of heart to continue with many of the principles of Communism. I saw a part of the collective Chinese personality today that is rarely expressed.

At this point, I am simply going to speculate, not based on anything from the book, but from my own experience. I am wondering if we will eventually see the same kind of change in China that happened after the destruction of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union (which is less real than it appears). I wonder if Communism will no longer be supportable in China because an entire population cannot be controlled. Even Hitler realized this when he found that he could go only so far in some countries, like Denmark, because he would rather have a live population to support him economically than have no population at all.

However, remember in reading this review, that this is simply speculation that happened as a result of burying myself in the lives of these people as I read the book. There is nothing in this book that directly states or even gives reason to believe in what I say.

But I still wonder... to the extent that I would not be surprised to see massive changes in the government of China in the next few decades.

So even though I did not enjoy the book and found it boring, it did result in changes to my experience and knowledge. So I suppose that I can say that I am grateful that I read this book.

However, I would not recommend this book to anyone unless they read some other reviews and also a lot of sample pages first.

[Carling Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so well written and a couple of times I needed to look up the meaning of a word used. It wasn’t in a pretentious way but in a the-author-loves-language-and-knows-how-to-use it way. The main story is about Ai Weiwei and his arrest and release. But the most interesting parts were about China and how it’s run. I didn’t know much about the government and communist history, so it was fascinating. There were so many things that surprised me. Like the fact that the government limited the words used. For example the word for friendship is comrade. But that doesn’t come close to describing a friendship in its many nuances. The result is a large group of people that don’t know how to express what they are feeling. That just sounds painful to me. In conclusion this book was insightful, and I enjoyed the way the author expressed himself.

[Mary L · Rating 4 out of 5]

The basis of The Arrest of Ai Weiwei is a brief series of interviews the author had with the Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei shortly after Ai was released from imprisonment; however, the book is much more than that. It’s also a mini crash course in modern Chinese history, a look at Ai’s influences and contemporaries, and, perhaps most importantly, a glimpse into Ai’s ideology and projects.

Other highlights include Ai discussing his prison guards’ humanity as he describes them as fellow prisoners, and the author relating a story in which one of his Chinese friends is sprayed with pesticides by a passing municipal truck in a Kafkaesque turn of events.

I found The Arrest of Ai Weiwei to be an extremely interesting read that left me with both a better understanding of Ai Weiwei and modern China.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting artist. But even more interesting was how much, as an American, I do NOT know about Chinese history. While a bit tedious at times, the author does a good job at including critical historical information - without this, there is little context for why Ai Weiwei is such a remarkable man today.

[Jim · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot if people liked this book, but me. . . Not so much. I learned a bit, but felt as if it would have made a far superior long-form article instead. I also don't like the author putting them self too much in the telling. Journalistic, like you might read in Rolling Stone. Not bad, don't want to discourage readers, but I didn't love it.

[Charissa Ty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked that one phrase he highlighted, "Writers and artists are like engineers to the soul."

I enjoyed searching for the art mentioned in the book, it's like I had access to a museum at home. ☺️ But the author used too many words I don't think people this day and age use anymore. Was he trying to prove an Orwellian point? Haha.

[bedheaded · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Definitely worth a read, the interview sections and the accounts of Barnaby's travels are illuminating and often inspiring, though their roots entangle China's buried history (and hidden present.) Just be sure to skim / skip through the first two chapters, which are poorly written.

[Özge Günaydın · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lütfen okuyun
Müthiş

[Levantine Lass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, brilliantly written thoughtful portrayal of modern China and an artist I really knew little about

[Chris Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fine - no complaints really.

[Renee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I admit I didn't finish this and I'm disappointed that I didn't because I know I'm missing a unique story. The historical context-setting was so rambling and disconnected from Ai Weiwei's interview. It was necessary to set the stage for the artist's reality, but jeez, it was so dull. The author tried to interject the artist's story with the history of communist China, I assume to make that part of the book less of a history lesson, but I think he failed. And because I was so bored and confused by his approach, I never was able to get through the actual interview which I know is the core of the book so I simply gave up. I'll probably try again, but maybe just try to find the interview online somewhere.

[Cliff Chew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw Ai Weiwei, and I decided I needed some read on contemporary art. The book was not bad. Some parts that focused on China's contemporary history was a bit dry, but on hindsight, the dryness was definitely needed. The context was pretty important.

The parts that I enjoyed the most were the parts on his artworks, his political activist views, and in lesser parts, his weird days in captive. It's a strange insight into the China, but to be fair, the author did warn his readers that for such a touchy and topic that is so dear to him, he could only try his best to be as fair as he could. But even he knows that he might be a bit biased.

Great book. If you are bored by history, some parts may be dry, but the art learning were worth the dryness!

[Jenny Won garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a fascinating read about modern-day China and the difficult lives of artists and other dissidents. Ai Wei Wei is a complicated person. At times egotistical and other times, vulnerable. I read this book and then watched the video called Ai Wei Wei, Never Sorry. Seeing the artist and hearing his voice and his interactions with his mother, wife and girlfriend was eye-opening.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this for a number of reasons. Most importantly, it helped deepen my understanding of contemporary Chinese history, and of contemporary art, and then allowed me to draw conclusions about what it really means to practice the latter in today's China. Profound. I do really respect Ai Weiwei so much after reading this... Not to mention the author, who had the courage to capture the story.

[Aidan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Martin does an outstanding job of placing the art, activism and persecution of Ai Weiwei into the broader context of Chinese history since the Cultural Revolution. Recommended for anyone who wants to learn about the artistic influences on Weiwei's work, or the role played by the Chinese Communist Party in controlling dissidents. Weiwei comes across as a perceptive, charming man with some surprising insights into the goals and limits of Chinese State power. Highly recommended.

[Caner Demircan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Çinin yakın tarihi hakkında bilgiler öğrenirken modern sanatın ve alışılmışın dışında eserlerin Amerika'da ve Çin'de ne gibi tepkilerle karşılandığını anlatıyor. Weiwei'in başından geçenleri maalesef çok fazla yadırgamadan okuyorsunuz.

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting account of Ai Weiwei's thinking about art and politics which provides an excellent historical context - very accessible!

[agb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating book about censorship and the life of an artist in China

[Aeden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminded me of Ian Baruma's "Murder in Amsterdam". A window into the modern state apparatus in China, through the lens of Ai Weiwei's experience.

[Virginia Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

great opportunity to learn more about this articulate and brave artist, and china too

[Katie Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I've read for ages... Insightful