Critics seek recall of German art to protest Ai Weiwei arrest

Apr 15, 2011, 16:54 GMT

Berlin - German critics of the Chinese government have called for art lent to a Chinese museum to be recalled to protest Beijing's recent arrest of artist and human rights activist Ai Weiwei.

However, the demand was rejected Friday.

Three leading German museums have lent treasures to Beijing's newly refurbished National Museum. Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle flew to China to open the show, Art of the Enlightenment, two weeks ago, just before Ai Weiwei's arrest.

One arts group, the German Council on Culture, said it would be 'no disaster' if the show were called off, as demanded by some German rights activists.

'Dictatorships don't reward weakness,' said the council's chief executive, Olaf Zimmermann. The council is a lobby group for 233 arts organizations, according to its website.

But Martin Roth, head of the State Galleries in Dresden, disagreed with the boycott call.

'That would merely punish the people of China,' he said.

The head of another of the three lenders, Klaus Schrenk of the Munich museums, said a recall could only happen in conjunction with Westerwelle and the rest of Chancellor Angela Merkel's government.

Westerwelle affirmed on April 6 that the exhibition would continue as planned.

A newspaper, Die Welt, claimed Thursday the show had been a flop with only 200 visitors daily on weekdays.

In a related development, German activists appealed on Facebook for protests on Sunday outside Chinese diplomatic missions.

They called on protesters to place 1,001 chairs in front of each mission, a reference to an art installation by Ai Weiwei in 2007 at Germany's Documenta art expo. That performance installation comprised 1,001 people from China flown to Germany at Ai Weiwei's expense.

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