London’s Royal Academy of Art presents one of the most anticipated exhibitions of the year; a survey of the work created by the artist, designer, architect and activist Ai Weiwei, who is renowned for engaging with social issues in China ranging from State corruption, the defence of human rights and the conservation of cultural heritage. Ai’s ongoing clashes with the Pekín regime (in which censorship is commonplace) have cost him both his privacy and freedom as he has been put under surveillance, government restrictions and house arrest. He has also been the victim of assault and even imprisonment under such disparate charges as tax invasion and bigamy. Since his 81-day confinement in 2011, the artist has been unable to leave his own country, yet exhibitions of his work have been appearing all over the world.
