Ai Weiwei curates 'Freedom' exhibition of prisoner art at London's Southbank Centre

Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei is curating 'Freedom', a group exhibition at the Southbank Centre Exhibition Space in London from October 27 to December 18, 2022, featuring artworks created by prisoners. The show is organized by Koestler Arts, a charity that annually encourages over 2,500 incarcerated individuals to engage in creative projects, and marks the 60th anniversary of the Koestler Awards. Ai Weiwei, who was imprisoned for 81 days in 2011 for political dissent, visited several UK prisons to meet inmates and develop the exhibition, which he describes as 'the most ambitious ever'. He emphasizes that art and literature have historically flourished under conditions of oppression, and hopes the show will inspire reflection on freedom and expression. The exhibition is part of a broader program that also includes Ai Weiwei's glass works exhibition at San Giorgio Maggiore Island in Venice.