"it's not beautiful" by ean osnos

 Written by Evan Osnos, “It’s Not Beautiful” is a profile on the Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, and his role as both an artist and an activist. Weiwei has experimented in a number of creative projects consisting of a variety of installations, architecture, paintings, photographs, furniture, and novels. He is also known to stand against the Chinese authorities, whether he would bring attention to the proposed demolition of artists' studios or participating in the "Citizen's Investigation" of the earthquake in Sichuan back in 2008.  The beginning of the article unfolds Weiwei’s desire to obtain the names of students who had passed away in the earthquake, however this task is proven difficult due to his standoffish opinion against the Chinese government. Through the aid of a number of online social networks (i.e. twitter, and a recently shut down blog), Weiwei continues to vocalize his work in activism as well as his art, hoping to inspire his fellow countrymen to oppose the wrongdoings of their government.