Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici - By the Power of Truth, I, While Living, Have Conquered the Universe

Ai Weiwei uses art as a form of social activism.  It is his means of expression and political voice.  Being from China, political voice and expression is something that is a rather limited commodity.  His works range from the politically neutral to the extremely controversial.  One of his most controversial works was titled “So Sorry” and exhibited at Haus der Kunst, in Munich, Germany in 2009.  In the work, he created a massive billboard, in essence, out of children’s school bags.  The 9000 bags were arranged in such way that they spelled out “She lived happily on this earth for seven years.”  The work was a response to the numerous schools that collapsed following an earthquake in China that resulted in the death of countless children.  The controversy is not due to the effects of the quake itself, but rather because the buildings surrounding the schools largely remained standing.  It was clear that the schools had been constructed with inferior materials; moreover, upon their collapse, it was almost impossible to find any remains; the government quickly covered up the incidents and parents to this day do not have closure, forced to bury empty caskets.  Parents are never supposed to bury their children, and for a government to so shamelessly discard the grief of hundreds of parents and discard their outcries is wrong on a fundamental level.
 Ai Weiwei’s work is a giant and vivid reminder to the government of what they have done as well as a symbolic ‘fuck you’.  He, through his work of art, is calling out the government of China on what they have done, and he’s doing it extremely publicly.  In a land where people disappear every day for asking too many questions, Ai Weiwei is taking some extreme risks through his art.  He said the following about the work: 

"The idea to use backpacks came from my visit to Sichuan after the earthquake in May 2008.  During the earthquake many schools collapsed.  Thousands of young students lost their lives, and you could see bags and study material everywhere.  Then you realize individual life, media, and the lives of the students are serving very different purposes.  The lives of the students disappeared within the state propaganda, and very soon everybody will forget everything.”

His remarks make him a target.  His being outspoken puts his own life in peril.  His being an activist through his art makes him essential.