1000 años de alegrías y penas

Ai Weiwei is one of the most famous artists in the world, a creator who goes beyond the limits of the art world and has managed to be a social phenomenon, a courageous activist and a passionate defender of freedom of expression. In these memoirs he traces for the first time the origins of his exceptional creativity and political ideas, and lucidly and acutely explores the multitude of forces that have shaped modern China; an exercise that also traces an extraordinary history of the country during the last hundred years. Weiwei's sculptures and installations are admired around the world, and his architectural achievements include participation in the design of the iconic Beijing National Stadium. However, his dissent has long made him a target of the Chinese authorities, leading to a terrifying secret arrest in 2011. His father, Ai Qing, one of the most famous Chinese poets of the 20th century and in his A close friend of Mao Zedong, he was branded a right-wing during the Cultural Revolution, and he and his family were exiled to a desolate place known as "Little Siberia", where he was sentenced to forced labor cleaning public toilets. The artist recounts his childhood in exile and the difficult decision to leave his family to study art in the United States, where he befriended Allen Ginsberg and was inspired by Andy Warhol. Frankly and witty, he details his return to China and his rise from anonymous figure to superstar of the art world.