Ai Weiwei Calls out LEGO for "Censorship and Discrimination"
“Lego is giving us the definition of what is ‘political’, and all the big corporations are telling us what to love or hate. That is awesome.”
Ai Weiwei has accused LEGO of “an act of censorship and discrimination” for the Danish toymaker’s refusal to accept a bulk order placed by him for the “Andy Warhol/Ai Weiwei” exhibition due to be held at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia. The bulk order was intended for an installation similar to another one by the artist shown last year at San Francisco’s Alcatraz Prison, whereby thousands of LEGO pieces were used to create portraits of 175 political dissidents, including Nelson Mandela and Edward Snowden. According to Ai, LEGO refused to allow the use of its products in “any political, religious, racist, obscene or defaming statements.” Subsequently, Ai has received many offers from his supporters to supply LEGO pieces. A LEGO spokesperson would not comment directly on the case, but reiterated LEGO’s policy to avoid the use of its plastic bricks in political statements.
