Gangnam Style! Anish Kapoor makes protest video
Video: Turner Prize-winning artist Anish Kapoor goes Gangnam Style in a video in support of the artist Ai Weiwei. Keep your eyes peeled for Sarah Smith and Krishnan Guru-Murthy…
The artist Anish Kapoor made the video to support Ai Weiwei, whose own version of the viral hit by South Korean rapper Psy was apparently taken down by the Chinese authorities.
Mr Kapoor’s parody version, choreographed by Akram Khan, also includes cameos from leading figures in the cultural world, including Mark Wallinger, Hanif Kureishi and Southbank Centre director Jude Kelly. It is called Anish’s Gangnam for Freedom in support of human rights.
Organisations like MoMA and the Guggenheim also appear in the video, which is supported by human rights organisations including Amnesty International and Index on Censorship.
Our film aims to make a serious point about freedom of speech and freedom of expression. Anish Kapoor
Mr Kapoor made the clip after Ai Weiwei’s parody, in which the Chinese artist wears handcuffs to comment on the lack of freedom in China, was removed from the web by the Chinese authorities.
Mr Kapoor said: “Our film aims to make a serious point about freedom of speech and freedom of expression. It is our hope that this gesture of support for Ai Weiwei and all prisoners of conscience will be wide-ranging and will help to emphasise how important these freedoms are to us all.”
You may also spot a couple of familiar Channel 4 News characters in the clip as well – scroll to 2.04 and try not to blink.
