Ai Weiwei: China
Title: Flag. 2019
Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei designed his flag to raise awareness of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The design was inspired by his time spent visiting Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, who were forced to flee attacks in the Southeast Asian region of Burma. He noticed that nearly everyone was barefooted. He sees the bare footprint as a symbol that relates to anyone who has ever been forced to flee. He took 100 muddy footprints of people young and old in various locations, and combined them in his design.
It’s about human identity. Human rights is not a given property, but rather something we can only gain from our own defence and fight. As humans, as long as we can stand up or can make a move, we have our footprint.
Arts organisations and human rights charities are invited to Fly The Flag for human rights. Fly the Flag who commissioned Ai Weiwei hoped: from the Highlands of Scotland to the coast of Cornwall via cities, towns and villages across the UK, in galleries and theatres, shopping centres and offices, schools and libraries, both physically and online, people will come together to celebrate that human rights are for everyone, every day.
www.flytheflag.org.uk
www.aiweiwei.com