• Video: Alison Klaymon, creator of the documentary Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, introduces us to 38-year old Global Times journalist Wen Tao (pictured), a friend of Ai Weiwei's who was taken by plainclothes police hours after Ai was detained on Apr. 3; his whereabouts remain unknown, and no charges have been announced against him.• Shortly before his arrest, Ai was reportedly invited, twice, to be part of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), "an advisory body made up of non-Communist party members, including high-profile figures such as artists and athletes." The body's role is "to engage influential figures outside the party." Ai's response to that query isn't known.
• Director Madeleine Grynsztejn and others at the MCA Chicago have signed on to the Guggenheim Foundation petition calling for Ai's release. The petition now has nearly 69,000 signatures.
• Artist An Xiao Mina is counting the hours since Ai's disappearance at 8:04 AM China Standard Time on Apr. 3 by placing one sunflower seed in a jar for each hour.
• Beijing-based political writer Russell Leigh Moses asks whether the Chinese Communist party has given up on reform.
• "Who's afraid of Ai Weiwei" stencils are appearing in Hong Kong.
• Random factoid: Ai reportedly has "ridiculous blackjack skills," and blackjack players are angered by his detention.
• Eerie to see Ai's Twitter feed -- home to more than 60,000 tweets -- silent. His last entry: April 3.
Earlier:
Ai Weiwei Update: 04.11.11
Ai Weiwei Update: 04.12.11
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