Fans Donate Bricks To Chinese Dissident Artist Who Was Refused Legos For Political Works

In September, Chinese artist Ai Weiwei placed a bulk order for plastic bricks from Lego to create artwork to be shown at Australia’s National Gallery of Victoria in December. However, the Danish toymaker denied the dissident’s request, citing a policy against “the use of Legos for political works”.

In September Lego refused Ai Weiwei Studio’s request for a bulk order of Legos to create artwork to be shown at the National Gallery of Victoria as “they cannot approve the use of Legos for political works.” On Oct 21, a British firm formally announced that it will open a new Legoland in Shanghai as one of the many deals of the U.K.-China “Golden Era.”

A photo posted by Ai Weiwei (@aiww) on Oct 23, 2015 at 6:04am PDT

Ai, a longstanding critic of the Chinese Communist Party, posted a lengthy statement on Instagram calling the decision “an act of censorship and discrimination”. A picture of a toilet filled with the toy blocks and signed “R. Mutt 2015” – a reference to Marcel Duchamp’s 1917 “Fountain” – accompanied the post.

“We’re here to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow” (twitter.com/LEGO_Group) In June 2015 Ai Weiwei Studio began to design artworks which would have required a large quantity of Lego bricks to produce. The works were planned for the exhibition “Andy Warhol / Ai Weiwei” at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, to open in December 2015. The artworks’ concept relates to freedom of speech. The museum’s curatorial team contacted Lego to place a bulk order and received Lego’s reply via email on 12 September 2015: “We regret to inform you that it is against our corporate policy to indicate our approval of any unaffiliated activities outside the LEGO licensing program. However, we realize that artists may have an interest in using LEGO elements, or casts hereof, as an integrated part of their piece of art. In this connection, the LEGO Group would like to draw your attention to the following: The LEGO trademark cannot be used commercially in any way to promote, or name, the art work. The title of the artwork cannot incorporate the LEGO trademark. We cannot accept that the motive(s) are taken directly from our sales material/copyrighted photo material. The motive(s) cannot contain any political, religious, racist, obscene or defaming statements. It must be clear to the public that the LEGO Group has not sponsored or endorsed the art work/project. Therefore I am very sorry to let you know that we are not in a position to support the exhibition Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei by supplying the bulk order.” Ai Weiwei Studio was informed by NGV about Lego’s rejection of the bulk order. As a commercial entity, Lego produces and sells toys, movies and amusement parks attracting children across the globe. As a powerful corporation, Lego is an influential cultural and political actor in the globalized economy with questionable values. Lego’s refusal to sell its product to the artist is an act of censorship and discrimination. A photo posted by Ai Weiwei (@aiww) on Oct 24, 2015 at 3:14pm PDT

The refusal prompted an outcry on social media, with many offering their own Lego blocks to complete his installation.

@aiww use mine, more than happy to make it. pic.twitter.com/ouC66A6CwZ — Wu Tun 吴吞 (@wu_tun) October 25, 2015

Hey @aiww . What colour do you need? #NGVMelbourne pic.twitter.com/C9NDNqItSl — BobbieAnt (@bobbieskates) October 25, 2015

.@LEGO_Group this is about 10% of our #Lego collection. We won’t be buying more. @aiww you’re welcome to borrow it. pic.twitter.com/6mcq8RwXu3 — Dave Hall (@skwashd) October 25, 2015

.@aiww Here is something for your art. pic.twitter.com/0A26lFoMZy — Michael Heaney (@benchwhistler) October 25, 2015

support @aiww and freedom of expression through art in any media @LEGO_Group #legosforweiwei pic.twitter.com/oElnjlBQbh — Suzu King (@BellTree127) October 25, 2015

Ai answered his supporters’ calls by beginning to organize Lego-collection points in different cities. The first is a parked car, where fans can insert their Legos through the sunroof. Another car has been positioned in front of the Martin-Gropius-Bau, an art museum in Berlin. A third is installed at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia. His studio is also taking donations by email.

Yes, I will find a way to accept. https://t.co/S7vW7hw76s — Ai WeiWei (english) (@aiww_en) October 25, 2015

In an email to the Guardian, Lego confirmed the order had been rejected on political grounds but said the principle “is not new”. Lego spokesman Roar Rude Trangbæk wrote:

“We acknowledge, that Lego bricks today are used globally by millions of fans, adults, children and artists as a creative medium to express their imagination and creativity in many different ways. Projects that are not endorsed or supported by the Lego group. However, as a company dedicated to delivering great creative play experiences to children, we refrain — on a global level — from actively engaging in or endorsing the use of Lego bricks in projects or contexts of a political agenda. This principle is not new.

“Any individual person can naturally purchase or get access to Lego bricks in other ways to create their Lego projects if they desire to do so, but as a company, we choose to refrain from engaging in these activities – through for example bulk purchase. In cases where we receive requests for donations or support for projects – such as the possibility of purchasing Lego bricks in large quantities – where we are made aware that there is a political context, we therefore kindly decline support.”

Lego will tell us what to do,or not to do.that is awesome! https://t.co/7VKGWBcKMg — 艾未未 Ai Weiwei (@aiww) October 25, 2015

In 2014, Ai used Lego to create portraits of 175 dissident figures who had been jailed or exiled, from Nelson Mandela to Edward Snowden, on the site of the former Alcatraz prison near San Francisco. Over the past few days, Ai has shared dozens of these portraits of political detainees on Instagram to protest Lego’s “act of censorship and discrimination”.

  Shaker Aamer Was held without trial or charge. A Saudi citizen and British legal resident, Aamer was originally suspected of leading anti-US forces in Afghanistan while being paid by Osama bin Laden. He has been detained since 2001. He was cleared for release by the Bush administration in 2007 and by the Obama administration in 2009, but remains in detention in Guantánamo. He says that he has been subject to torture. —————————————————- He was released on October 30, 2015. United States   A photo posted by Ai Weiwei (@aiww) on Nov 6, 2015 at 8:11am PST

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