Weekly updates:

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Weekly updates


Artist and activist Ai Weiwei has had his passport returned to him by Chinese authorities, which means that Ai may now be free to travel the world for the first time in four years.

To announce the news Ai posted a photo on Instagram, holding his passport with the caption “Today, I got my passport”.

In 2011, Ai’s passport was seized when he was arrested and held by Chinese authorities for 81 days. Since then, he has been unable to leave the country working inside China and has worked with many different teams of people to make his work.

The return of his passport brings the hope that China may finally allow Ai to leave the country and visit some of the many works that he has commissioned since the seizure of his passport. Although the recent disappearances of a number of Chinese human rights lawyers and activists may make it hard for Ai to leave the country.

We have yet to hear if Ai will be coming to Australia for the National Gallery of Victoria’s Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei exhibition which begins in December. But NGV have contributed to speculation by reposting Ai’s Instagram post, so hopefully we will get to see him Down Under later in the year.

[Via.]

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