Invisible, invasive and widely taken for granted, censorship is a globalized force as much driven by commercial interests as political agendas. One of the world’s most influential cultural figures, Ai Weiwei has firsthand experience of its power.
In Ai Weiwei on Censorship, the artist and activist makes a rallying cry for free speech in an age shaped by big data, mass surveillance and intrusive new technologies of control. By examining how censorship persists both in the overt propagandizing and redactions of authoritarian regimes, as well as subtly within democratic frameworks, this incisive essay invites us to critically reconsider power, ideology and the boundaries of free speech.
In this extract from On Censorship, Ai Weiwei defines his understanding of censorship and widens our understanding of its global implications.
Image from WeiweiCam, Weiwei’s online self-surveillance project, 2012. This was a 24-hour live broadcast of his own surveillance. © Ai Weiwei
Censorship is often misunderstood, being typically associated with countries defined as autocratic and authoritarian. Without question, such systems thrive on strict ideological control and the suppression of dissenting voices. But this understanding overlooks other forms of suppression – and even inadvertently supports another perspective: that in societies considered relatively civilized or liberalized, and in those with democratic structures, censorship is either non-existent or extremely rare.
This belief creates an impression of a stark contrast, akin to the difference between night and day – people forget that even on sunny days, shadows are inevitable. In reality, censorship exists everywhere. Wherever authority is present – be it political, economic or cultural – censorship is omnipresent. It seeps into every social being’s existence, manifesting in different ways. By ‘social beings’, I refer to people whose actions are intertwined with the structures of society and whose potential for self-expression is shaped and constrained within these frameworks.
A detectaphone found in Ai Weiwei’s studio, Beijing, 2015. © Ai Weiwei
In ostensibly democratic societies – the democracies championed by the West, though whether they truly embody democratic principles or the ideals of the so-called free world is a matter for debate – thought and speech are subject to censorship through political, economic, media and social mechanisms. In many cases, this form of censorship is more covert, more deceptive and more corrosive.
At its core, any form of censorship targets the dominant ideologies present within political and social structures. The essence of censorship is the control of thought – it is the exercise of power over intellectual space, involving the suppression and elimination of dissent. It can be described as both an indispensable tool of mental enslavement and a fundamental source of political corruption.
Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA) cancellation and removal of Ai Weiwei’s show, 2011. © Ai Weiwei
Distorted information or outright lies are inevitable tools of the censor. Freedom of speech and freedom of expression are the natural enemies of any censorship system. The motives behind censorship have been embedded in human history since ancient times. One of the most significant functions of a country, political group or society can be expressed through a saying in circulation since the Shang period in China: ‘the great affairs of the state are worship and military bases’ (国之大事，祀与戍).
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Widespread propaganda, brainwashing and media manipulation can be seen as contemporary forms of ‘worship’, while ‘military bases’ manifest in acts of invasion, war and genocide, all aimed at eliminating the physical presence or territorial identity of the perceived other. More often than not, these two mechanisms work in tandem.
Illumination, 2009. A selfie taken in the elevator, while being taken away by policemen in Sichuan. © Ai Weiwei
Censorship is both brutal and effective. Its efficacy ensures the survival of existing political and economic systems; its brutality lies in the fact that, without censorship, the system would collapse and disintegrate, and thus censorship has never needed justification or mercy. It operates without apology or explanation.
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Censorship primarily relies on the power of intimidation. It targets those who dare to speak out first – individuals with clear attitudes, ethics, judgment and critical perspectives – by sanctioning them. This initial sanction sends a message: resistance is futile. It creates an environment in which most people feel powerless to resist or defend themselves, ensuring compliance through fear.
Words by Ai Weiwei.
