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.
Censorship
Posted inOpinion
NY Catholic Group Wants Brooklyn Museum to Cut Wojnarowicz Video from Show
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.
Posted inOpinion
Satirical Magazine French Kisses Mohammad
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.
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Radiohead Goes Knives Out, Joins Sina Weibo
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.
Posted inOpinion
Deitch Listens as Carlo McCormick Brings Up Blu Whitewash
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.
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Required Reading
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.
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1000+ Attend Hong Kong March for Ai Weiwei
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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Posted inNews
Smithsonian Censor Wins Muzzle Award
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.
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[Sponsor] Censoring Wojnarowicz
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.
Posted inNews
Colorado Christ Art Attacker Fined 3K
According to the Loveland Reporter-Herald, the Christian fundamentalist trucker who damaged artist Enrique Chagoya’s “The Misadventures of the Romantic Cannibals” at the Loveland Museum Gallery in Loveland, Colorado has been “ordered to pay $2,991 in restitution — less than half the amount requested by prosecutors.”
Posted inOpinion
Required Reading
This week on Required Reading … Thornton Dial is getting ready for a major show in Indianapolis, Spy magazine is posted online by Google, thinking about animated GIFs as art, is the US military creating a fake online “army,” visualizing art thefts, Linda Benglis profiled in the New York Times
Posted inOpinion
Required Reading
This week on Required Reading … a look back to Napoleon in Egypt … a history of mural whitewashing in Los Angeles … the preservation of the Watts Towers … Steven Heller tracks dowing the master style guide to the Master Race … what is “The Future of Art” … are you ready for the Singularity?