Artist Ai Weiwei, who is known for making incredible artworks using ordinary LEGO bricks, has been denied for a recent order of LEGO bricks.
The company said that Weiwei’s latest plan was too political in order to receive their approval. It is unknown exactly what Weiwei was trying to build. The planned artwork was so large that it required a special order of LEGO bricks.
LEGO spokesperson Roar Rude said in an email, “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.”
LEGO is not a sponsor of the project, and the company says that they are not represented by Weiwei’s artwork. Thus, they had an easy time denying Weiwei’s recent bulk order.
Weiwei was planning to construct a piece of LEGO artwork that would have represented freedom of speech in some way. The art would have been displayed at the National Gallery of Victoria in Australia as part of the art gallery’s new exhibit featuring Ai Weiwei and Andy Warhol. The exhibit is set to open in December of this year.
Weiwei took to social media to say that the refusal of the company to sell him LEGO bricks was an act of discrimination and censorship.
Luckily for the artist, his fans stepped in, offering to send Weiwei their own personal LEGO bricks to be used in the artwork. Supporters used the hashtag #legosforweiwei to get their messages across.
Some pictures on Twitter even showed sad looking children, holding out their entire buckets of LEGOS, offering to send them to Weiwei.
It is currently unknown if Weiwei will take his fans up on their offer.
In addition to making artwork out of LEGO bricks, Weiwei is perhaps best known for assisting with the artistic displays featured in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Stay Connected
