![Post image for Getting Naked for Ai Weiwei [NSFW]](http://hyperallergic.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/ainudity8-HOME.jpg)
BEIJING — When Ai Weiwei’s assistant, Beijing artist Zhao Zhao, was brought in for questioning recently, the supposed charges were simple: distribution of pornography. The image in question was “One Tiger, Eight Breasts,” a shot of Ai with four young women, all of them naked. I first saw the photo in August 2010, when he tweeted a link to it and said “Trusting each other fully,” though the link to the image no longer works.
MANILA, PHILIPPINES — What has the response to Ai Weiwei’s tax case been like in China? We’ve seen the thrilling surge of netizens lending over a million dollars to the artist, and he recently made a deposit while he contests the bill. The artist has returned to Twitter, posting actively once more. Many reports have emphasized that Ai’s name is blocked on searches on Sina Weibo, but, as with the Wenzhou train collision last year, netizens are using images to circumvent censorship and show their support.
Here we go again. Almost a year after the controversy at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, Catholic groups in New York have started to raise alarm over David Wojnarowicz’s “A Fire In My Belly” (1986-7) that will appear in the Brooklyn version of Hide/Seek.
Last week, the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo published an image of Mohammad on its cover saying, “100 lashes if you don’t die of laughter!” Sadly, some right-wing muslim zealots firebombed the headquarters of the magazine, but don’t think that shut up the publication. No siree, this week the magazine has upped the ante and published a cartoon of the publisher making out with Mohammad under the banner, “Love is stronger than hate.” That’s right, baby. Fuck the fundamentalists.
Popular angst rock group Radiohead has just joined Sina Weibo, China’s popular microblogging service—and their account has attracted nearly 70,000 followers after a single post.
According to the art world’s favorite vlogger, James Kalm, Art in the Streets essayist Carlo McCormick spoke on June 19 at MOCA and Jeffrey Deitch was in the crowd.
This week … why are the Coptic churches of Egypt burning, Paul Goldberger is cynical of Rem Koolhaas, video of Alexander McQueen at the Met, profile of Cory Arcangel, tour of the 2011 Contemporary Furniture Fair, want to live on a houseboat on the Gowanus, Luna Park’s Berlin pics, an interview with the Met Opera’s conductor and 8 NYers are suing Baidu for censorship.
Saturday’s HK March for #AiWeiwei drew 1000+. Photos by @wenyunchao yfrog.com/h2b1htcqj yfrog.com/h49azqunj http://yfrog.com/hs9z9gdjless than a minute ago via TweetDeck 
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aliklay
aliklay
The Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression has given out one of its annual “Jefferson Muzzle” awards to Smithsonian Secretary G. Wayne Clough for his removal of David Wojnarowicz’s “A Fire in My Belly” video and censoring of Hide/Seek at the National Portrait Gallery. That’s one trophy we assume won’t be going on display in his home.
![Post image for [Sponsor] Censoring Wojnarowicz](http://hyperallergic.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/censoringwoj_HOME.jpg)
In The Life Media, producers of In The Life, the longest running television show documenting the gay experience, have created Censoring Wojnarowicz, an exclusive online video exploring the controversy surrounding the removal of David Wojnarowicz’s “A Fire in My Belly” video installation from the National Portrait Gallery’s Hide/Seek exhibition.
The web segment takes a look at Wojnarowicz’s anger as he faced death from AIDS and the outrage among conservative lawmakers and religious leaders at the inclusion of his work in the National Portrait Gallery. Click through to see the documentary.
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