Ai Weiwei's Paris Retrospective Disappoints but Defies Censorship

Ai Weiwei's exhibition 'Entrelacs' at the Jeu de Paume in Paris (21 February – 29 May 2012) drew mixed reactions. The critic found the work derivative of Western contemporary photography codes, lacking subversion. However, Ai Weiwei remains under travel ban in China and uses urgency to spread anti-dictatorship messages. His 'Fairytale' project for Documenta 12 brought 1001 Chinese citizens to Kassel, a victory against censorship. Other notable shows include Véronique Ellena's 'Invisibles' at Galerie Alain Gutharc (14 January – 3 March 2012), depicting homeless individuals in Roman architecture with humility, and the group exhibition 'Le Songe, la Raison et les Monstres' at Galerie Paul Frèches (1–25 March 2012), featuring young artists like Constance Nouvel, Paul Rousteau, Mathieu Tonetti, and Z-M experimenting beyond representation. The critic also reviews minor shows at Galerie DIX9 (Anne Deguelle's analysis of Freud's carpet), Galerie Camera Obscura (Sarah Moon, Denis Brihat, Françoise Nuñez), Vu' la galerie (Juan Manuel Castro Prieto on Ethiopia), and Paris/Vilnius (Antanas Sutkus's Soviet-era Lithuania).