Illumination

Ai Weiwei became a leading activist calling for government transparency on student deaths following the devastating 2008 Sichuan earthquake. Ai initiated a Citizens’ Investigation which sought to account for each individual child that lost their lives in the shoddy “tofu-dregs” school constructions. Tan Zuoren, a fellow activist and writer, was arrested and accused of “inciting subversion of state power.” Ai traveled to Chengdu to testify on Tan’s behalf. On the night before he was due to testify, the police barged into Ai’s room, beat him, and prevented him from attending the trial. As the police escorted him to the elevator, Ai snapped the now iconic selfie.