Ai Weiwei releases profanity-filled music video

By David Ng

May 22, 2013 10:31 AM PT

Not surprisingly, Ai Weiwei’s new music video features wall-to-wall profanity and an aggressive anger aimed at China’s ruling Communist party.

The celebrated Chinese artist has released a new heavy-metal music video about the 81 days he spent in prison after being arrested by Chinese authorities in 2011. The single, titled “Dumbass,” is a Mandarin-language diatribe filled with expletives. It also features the artist’s trademark mix of dry humor, media commentary and self-mythology.

At one point, the song describes China as “a country that puts out like a hooker.” The video, which stars the Chinese artist, was shot by renowned Hong Kong cinematographer Christopher Doyle, who is known for his work on films with director Wong Kar-wai.

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The music video can be viewed in its entirety, with a helpful English translation of the lyrics, on Ai’s official site and can also be downloaded via iTunes. (Please note: The video features some explicit imagery.) The song was written by Ai and Chinese musician-artist Zuoxiao Zuzhou and will be part of Ai’s forthcoming album, “The Divine Comedy,” scheduled to be released June 22.

The video depicts the 81 days Ai spent in prison as he was guarded by two officers who watched him eat, sleep and even defecate. It also shows the artist having his head shaved and, strangely, dressing up as a woman.

Ai is the subject of a museum retrospective that is touring North America. “Ai Weiwei: According to What?” is at the Indianapolis Museum of Art through July 21. It will move to the Art Gallery of Ontario in Canada in August.

The new song is technically not Ai’s first music video. Last year, the artist paid tribute to South Korean pop star Psy by creating his own “Gangnam Style” video.

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