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.
– Chinese artist, Ai Weiwei
By now, pretty much all of you have heard about the social media storm unleashed by LEGO’s refusal to sell its iconic play pieces in bulk to Chinese artist Ai WeiWei for an upcoming Australian art installation. In response, outraged fans have decided to crowdsource LEGO pieces and donate them to him in protest. I think this story is extremely important because it provides some valuable lessons for effective activism and civil disobedience going forward. First, let’s get caught up on what happened.
From the Atlantic:
Ai Weiwei, the Chinese artist known worldwide for his politically charged art installations, has long butted heads with his country’s government over its censorship policies and human-rights violations. Now, he’s facing resistance of a different kind. The Danish toy company Lego refused to send the artist its plastic bricks to use in a project for the National Gallery of Victoria, explaining that it “cannot approve the use of Legos for political works.”
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