Ai Weiwei ( , ; born 28 August 1957 in Beijing ) is a Chinese contemporary artist and activist . His father 's ( Ai Qing ) original surname was written Jiang ( 蔣 ) . Ai collaborated with architects Herzog & de Meuron as consultant on the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics . As an activist , he has been openly critical of the Chinese Government 's stance on democracy and human rights . He investigated government corruption and cover-ups , in particular the Sichuan schools corruption scandal following the collapse of " tofu-dreg schools " in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake . In 2011 , following his arrest at Beijing Capital International Airport on 3 April , he was held for 81 days without charge ; officials alluded to allegations of " economic crimes "
2008 Sichuan earthquake
2008 Sichuan earthquake
Ai Weiwei