Table of Contents
Issues in “The Dancing Wheels” and Ai Weiwei
The article “Dancing Wheels” and the works of Ai Weiwei are similar as they bring out various issues to the public consciousness such as championing for the rights of various minority groups in the society. In the article for example, Quinlan & Harter (2010) bring out the rights of the disabled persons in the society through dance, where the society is enlightened on the need to embrace all persons regardless of their affiliations. On “Ai Weiwei: Can an artist change society?” Strickland (2011) explains how Ai Weiwei focuses on human rights and even fights for the government acting within set boundaries.
Art vs. speech
Art might be more preferable than speech in raising awareness of these issues since art is more profound as far as forming identities is concerned unlike in speech. In Weiwei (2012), the author uses art to talk about censorship in a way that helps the reader engage in realization process that enlightens them on their rights as citizens. Harris, A. (2015) also brings out the idea that art boosts activism especially in the course of self-awareness.
Raising awareness
Raising awareness is both positive and negative. On a positive approach, it helps fights for the rights of the weak in the society such as persons with disabilities, as well as drive for change while on the negative point, it may spark violence that may led to loss of lives as quoted in Weiwei (2012).
Publicity impacted communication of set message
Publicity has allowed for restructuring the society and the way in which people coexist. Many identities have been expressed through art in a manner that communicates the set message in a creative and appealing manner.
Effects of publicity through art
However, positive and negative impacts of communication through art are imminent. Positively, change movements have been staged successfully as in “Dancing Wheels”. The manner of communication has also been diversified and simplified through art. Misinterpretation of the message may occur; hence, harboring the intended message especially if the leaders are arrested.
- Harris, A. (2015). The Building Blocks of Dissidence: Chinese artist Ai Weiwei and #Legogate. The Conversation, 27th October, 2015.
- Quinlan, M. M. & Harter, L. M. (2010). Communicating Through Dance. Communication Currents, 5(6), 1-3.
- Strickland, C. (2011). Ai Weiwei: Can an artist change society? The Christian Science Monitor, 4th May, 2011.
- Weiwei, A. (2012). In China, is Censorship the Mother of Creativity? The Stream, 10th April, 2012.