Ai Weiwei: Britain must take more responsibility over refugee crisis

Ai Weiwei said: "The British and the US are really responsible for many many crises, such as the Iraq war. "
Miranda Bryant11 October 2017

Ai Weiwei called on Britain and other major powers to take “much more responsibility” for the refugee crisis as he unveiled his largest ever public exhibition in New York.

The dissident Chinese artist, who is based in Berlin, said there is “no excuse” for Britain and the US not to do more to help the world’s refugees - especially in light of the Iraq war.

Speaking at the launch of Good Fences Make Good Neighbours exhibition, the 60-year-old said the issue is a “global crisis” that all developed countries should take responsibility for.

He said: “The major nations, I would say the most powerful nations in the West, should bear much more responsibility for this crisis. The British and the US are really responsible for many many crises, such as the Iraq war.

“This is causing millions of people to leave their homes, hundreds of thousands of people are dying, and still, the war is not stopped yet.

“So they should bear responsibility, there’s no excuse. It would be a shame for any privileged people or power to not bear responsibility.”

According to UN refugee agency UNHCR, over 65 million people around the world were forced to leave their homes by either conflict or persecution at the end of last year, of which 22.5 million were refugees.

The sculptures include a giant golden birdcage called Gilded Cage a short walk from the President’s New York home in Trump Tower.

The artist said the exhibition is for all New Yorkers - including Trump, who he said “is also welcome to enjoy this sculpture”.

He has also installed a fence between two buildings in East Village close to a basement flat he lived in as an art student during the 1980s.

He said he chose the fence as a motif because “they always relate to our identity” and in light of Trump’s travel ban and plan to extend the US border with Mexico.

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