How does censorship creep into democracies? And how can artists resist authoritarian regimes?

Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei – whose work is featured this autumn at the Patrick Derom Gallery and the Emile Verhaeren Museum – has spent his life challenging state power and cultural repression. Through provocative performances, installations, and films, he has become a global icon in the fight for freedom of expression. Having been shadowed and detained by the Chinese state, Ai knows better than anyone the true price of artistic freedom.

In his book On Censorship, the conceptual artist does more than recount his experiences with authoritarianism; he delivers a penetrating critique of censorship within Western democracies. He highlights the growing dangers of mass surveillance, big data, and the influence of tech giants on our ideological freedom.

Join us for a profound conversation as Ai sits down with Chris Dercon (Fondation Cartier) to explore the role of art in an age of digital and political censorship.

This event is organized in collaboration with the Patrick Derom Gallery, which, together with Hannibal Books, is publishing a richly illustrated volume to accompany the artist’s major Belgian survey.