Ai Weiwei - Absent - 2011

Ai Weiwei - Absent - Taipei Fine Arts Museum (2011). The museum published a comprehensive catalog of all of Ai Weiwei's exhibited works. The catalog is in very good condition and is in English and Chinese.

The catalog (48 pages, A5 format) is for the exhibition "Absent" in Taipei. "Absent" because Ai Weiwei was "missing" during this period. Arrested by the Chinese government. The entire art world was deeply concerned, and pressure on the Chinese government increased worldwide (Where is Weiwei?). This exhibition in Taipei also served this purpose.

In early 2011, Ai Weiwei ran into trouble for his criticism of the Chinese government. He was formally charged with tax evasion. On April 3, 2011, he was detained by Chinese police at Beijing Airport, and his studio in the capital was sealed during a crackdown by the authorities on activists and dissidents. The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation subsequently launched an online petition for his release.

On May 15, 2011, his wife, Lu Qing, was briefly allowed to speak with him. He reportedly told her he had not been abused or tortured.

On Wednesday, June 22, 2011, Ai Weiwei was released on bail after 81 days. He was then placed under house arrest and prohibited from leaving Beijing. According to Chinese state media, he paid the bail and confessed to tax evasion. His ill health was also reportedly a reason for his release. However, activists claim the real reason for his arrest was his criticism of the regime. Ai was banned from speaking, and his company received a tax bill.

In early November 2011, Ai Weiwei's company received a tax bill of 15 million yuan (1.73 million euros), payable within 15 days. Despite many supporters transferring more than half of the requested amount, the tax authorities stipulated that the debt should be paid in full by November 16, 2011.
On June 20, 2012, it was announced that the lawsuit filed by Ai's company against the Chinese tax assessment had been initiated. On the eve of the hearing, Ai's lawyer disappeared without a trace after receiving a call from the authorities requesting him to report. Ai's employees say they were assaulted by police when they tried to film the police cars in front of Ai's house. In the summer of 2015, Ai Weiwei regained his passport after four years and was able to travel abroad again.