Ai Weiwei, whose exhibition was cancelled: 'Censorship manifests itself more subtly in Western countries'

Chinese contemporary artist Ai Weiwei has shared his views on the West's stance regarding the attacks Israel has been carrying out on Gaza since October 7, and the censorship debates that have come to the fore due to the suppression of freedom of expression for those who openly support Palestine.

Speaking to Sky News, the artist detailed his views on censorship in the West, stating, "In universities, in the media, in the political sector, everywhere—you cannot talk about the facts."

In his remarks, Weiwei also referred to the suspension of professor Tomasz Skiba from New York University following his social media posts about the Israel-Hamas war.

'SUBJECTED TO CENSORSHIP'

The artist said, "In the context of censorship in the West, there was a widespread illusion that the West had more freedom of expression and freedom of the press. The West portrayed itself as the society that practices the least censorship. However, I believe that censorship continues wherever there is power.

Unlike traditional authoritarian regimes that directly target individual speech, censorship in the West manifests itself in a more subtle way within the framework of so-called democratic politics and the broader concept of so-called freedom of expression. Criticism and dissenting opinions that differ from established values and institutional interests are often subjected to varying degrees of censorship," he stated.

'IT POSES A GREATER THREAT'

Stating that mainstream media and government narratives tend to remain hegemonic when sensitive topics such as war and the arms trade are addressed, Ai said, "Even if individuals continue to express their views, their impact on shaping social ideology often remains minimal. That is why I think Western censorship operates in a more hidden, robust, and permanent way. Because people are led to believe that there is no censorship in the West, this poses a greater threat."

Sharing his thoughts on freedom in Western institutions, Wei continued:

"Censorship actually stems from the fragility of power. When power is weak and cannot face the truth, censorship emerges. The Western framework, despite its desire to defend science and other fields, finds itself in a fragile state today.

At every level of education from primary schools to universities, in public discourse, in mainstream media, in the entertainment world, in the worlds of politics and finance, all are heavily controlled in terms of expression. This situation hinders the development of a truly civilized society and instead pushes it toward regression."