>>> NOW, WHEN ART MEETS ACTIVISM, CHINESE DISSIDENT AND RENOWNED ARTIST AI WEIWEI IS KNOWN FOR CHALLENGING THROUGH HIS WORK AND WAS EVEN DETAINED IN CHINA FOR 81 DAYS ON CHARGE OF STATE SUBVERSION BACK IN 2011.

BUT IT'S NOT DETERRED HIS FIGHT FOR INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM, A NOBLE PURSUIT PASSED DOWN TO HIM BY HIS FATHER, A CELEBRATED POET.

NOW AI WEIWEI IS EXPLORING THAT RELATIONSHIP AND HIS OWN LIFE STORY IN A NEW GRAPHIC MEMOIR "ZODIAC."

HE TELLS HARI SREENIVASAN HOW THOSE MEMORIES CONNECT TO STORIES OF CHINESE ASTROLOGICAL SIGNS.

>> CHRISTIANE, THANKS.

AI WEIWEI, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

YOUR LATEST BOOK "ZODIAC" IS A GRAPHIC MEMOIR.

AND I'M WONDERING, IT'S NOT JUST A COMIC BOOK.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PART ART HISTORY, PART EXPRESSION OF YOUR LIFE.

WHY A GRAPHIC NOVEL?

>> WHEN I GREW UP IN A COMMUNIST SOCIETY, THE ONLY CHANCE TO HAVE SOME IMAGES WE CALLED A LITTLE PEOPLE'S BOOK.

AND IT'S ABOUT SIZE OF YOUR PALM, AND YOU READ PAGE BY PAGE.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE REVOLUTIONARY STORIES, AND I STILL KIND OF MEMORIZE ALL THE IMAGES.

SO I THINK PERHAPS THE NOVEL, IT COMES VERY HANDY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THE IMAGES.

AND THE LAST LANGUAGE.

THAT'S ALSO IMPORTANT.

I GAVE PEOPLE A LOT OF SPACE FOR IMAGINATION.

>> SO IF THERE IS A YOUNG PERSON THAT PICKS UP THIS BOOK TODAY, SIMILAR TO WHAT THE GRAPHIC NOVELS OF YOUR GENERATION MIGHT HAVE HAD, IS THERE A PURPOSE?

IS THERE A POINT?

IS THERE SOMETHING YOU WANT A YOUNG PERSON THAT MIGHT BE READING THIS TO TAKE AWAY?

>> I THINK THE BOOK -- ACTUALLY, I DID NOT READ SO MUCH GRAPHIC NOVELS IN THE WEST.

BUT THIS BOOK I THINK HAD A LOT OF MIXED INFORMATION ABOUT PERSONAL EXPERIENCE ABOUT A FATHER AND A SON, AND ALSO ABOUT A MYSTICAL IMAGES OF OUR ZODIACS, WHICH CAN RELATE TO HUMAN CHARACTER AND ALSO EVEN RELATE TO POLITICAL SITUATION.

LIKE THIS YEAR IS GOING TO BE A YEAR OF THE DRAGON.

IN CHINA, THE YEAR OF DRAGON SUPPOSED TO BE SOMETHING VERY UNPREDICTABLE.

IT CAN BE QUITE A BIG CHANGE OR CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS OR HARSH.

YOU HAVE ONE FOR PEOPLE BELIEVING THOSE.

>> FOR THOSE OF OUR AUDIENCE MEMBERS WHO DON'T KNOW, YOUR FATHER AND YOUR FAMILY WAS BASICALLY EXILED BECAUSE HE WAS A POET.

AND AS YOU POINT OUT IN THE BOOK, HE WASN'T REALLY WRITING HORRIBLE THINGS ABOUT THE STATE OR CHALLENGING THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, BUT YOU WERE STILL IN THE GOBI DESERT, IS THAT RIGHT, FOR FIVE YEARS AS A KID?

>> HE EXILED FOR 20 YEARS.

I WAS BORN THE YEAR HE WAS EXILED.

SO WE LIVE THE UNDERGROUND IN GOBI DESERT FOR FIVE YEARS.

SO HE STILL TODAY CONSIDER THE MOST POPULAR POETS.

THEN LATER THEY GIVE HIM HONOR BACK.

BUT STILL, THEY'RE KIND OF EXTREME SITUATION WHEN AUTHORITY DO NOT LIKE YOUR VOICE OR DO NOT LIKE YOUR EVEN JUST THE ATTITUDE, THEN YOU'RE DEAD.

YOU'RE NOT POSSIBLE.

BUT WE SEE THIS ALSO HAPPENS IN U.S. OR IN THE WEST.

CERTAIN SENTENCE IS UNSPEAKABLE.

CERTAIN SENTENCE YOU CANNOT TALK EITHER YOU BELIEVE THE FACTS OF TRUTH STILL AND THEN YOUR LIFE.

THAT IS A SCARY, YOU KNOW.

WE HAVE ONE LIFE, AND WHY WE HAVE TO BE KIDNAPPED BY CERTAIN KIND BELIEFS WHICH WE KNOW IS WRONG.

WE KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE FACTS IS OBVIOUS.

WE CAN EASILY THINK THIS.

WE CANNOT ALLOW IT TO HAPPEN TO OUR FAMILY OR TO OUR CASE, OR TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD OR TO THE PEOPLE WE KNOW.

BUT WE CANNOT SPEAK OUT.

WHAT IS ABOUT?

HOW DO WE LOOK AT THAT?

>> WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT EARLY EXPERIENCE OF LIVING WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF HOW YOUR FATHER WAS TREATED, DO YOU THINK THERE IS A CONNECTION BETWEEN THAT AND HOW YOU'RE LIVING TODAY?

AND I WONDER IF THAT ALSO TRANSMITS DOWN TO YOUR SON.

>> I THINK MY SITUATION, EVEN MY FATHER NOT EXACTLY AGREE.

BUT I THINK MY LIFE IS EXTENSION OF HIS LIFE, IS ABOUT THE PACE AND THE PRICE TO SPEAK TRUTH, IN THEIR TRUTHS, OR TO STATE ON THE SIDE.

THAT MEANS YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT.

THAT MEANS SO-CALLED FREEDOM NEVER COME FOR FREE.

IT'S REALLY SOMEONE WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR YOUR FREEDOM.

AND I HOPE I DO THIS AND IT CAN CHANGE THE SITUATION A LITTLE BIT BETTER FOR MYSELF.

MY SON.

I DON'T WANT HIM TO REPEAT MY EXPERIENCE OR HIS GRANDFATHER'S EXPERIENCE.

>> SO WHAT IS THE WORLD YOU WISH YOUR SON CAN GROW UP IN?

DO YOU THINK HE CAN GROW UP IN CHINA AS THE SON OF AI WEIWEI AND THE GRANDSON OF YOUR FATHER, PRACTICE ART, BE FREE IN HIS EXPRESSION?

>> MY SON'S FIRST ENGLISH SENTENCE IS NO MORE.

THE FIRST SENTENCE.

AND THE LAST MOMENT I UNDERSTAND THAT HE'S VERY -- HE WILL BE A VERY GOOD -- ONE DAY NO MORE LIFE, HE SAID.

HE WANTS TO BE A NORMAL LIFE.

AND I THINK INDEPENDENCE IS THE TRUE POWER OF WHAT EVERY INDIVIDUAL.

BUT YOU CAN SEE THE IDEAS OR JUDGMENT VERY OPEN.

IT'S NOT A REALLY INDEPENDENT JUDGMENT.

>> YOU KNOW, YOU DIDN'T TALK ABOUT YOUR FATHER MUCH EARLIER IN YOUR CAREER, AND YOU MENTION HIM A LOT MORE IN THIS BOOK.

AND I'M WONDERING HAS SOMETHING CHANGED?

IS IT AGE?

NOSTALGIA?

HOW COME YOU'RE BEING A LITTLE MORE OPEN ABOUT IT NOW?

>> THANK YOU FOR ASKING THAT.

I ALWAYS AVOID TO ASSOCIATE MYSELF WITH HIM BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW HE IS ENEMY OF THE STATE.

EVEN I DON'T AGREE WITH THAT, BUT IT'S STILL I DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HE'S REALLY STRUGGLED FOR.

LIFE IS SO MUCH BURDEN.

BUT I WAS ARRESTED SITTING IN FRONT OF AN INTERROGATORS, I REALIZED 80 YEARS APART, WE HAVE COME BACK INTO A FULL CIRCLE.

SO WE STILL HAVE TO RECOGNIZE AS HUMAN BEING.

IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW ADVANCED OUR TECHNOLOGY OR HOW MUCH COMFORT WE HAVE.

STILL WE ARE IN A VERY QUESTIONABLE OR CRUCIAL CONDITION, AND WE HAVE TO GIVE THOSE VERY ESSENTIAL RIGHTS IN ORDER TO RISE HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

>> YOU HAD RECENTLY PUT OUT A TWEET ABOUT THE SITUATION IN ISRAEL AND GAZA, AND I WANT TO READ A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT.

"THE SENSE OF GUILT AROUND THE PERSECUTION OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE HAS BEEN AT TIMES TRANSFERRED TO OFFSET THE ARAB WORLD, FINANCIALLY, CULTURALLY, AND IN TERMS OF MEDIA INFLUENCE, THE JEWISH COMMUNITY HAS HAD A SIGNIFICANT PRESENCE IN THE UNITED STATES.

THE ANNUAL $3 BILLION AID PACKAGE TO ISRAEL HAS FOR DECADES BEEN TOUTED AS ONE OF THE MOST VALUABLE INVESTMENTS THE UNITED STATES HAS EVER MADE.

THIS PARTNERSHIP IS OFTEN DESCRIBED AS ONE OF SHARED DESTINY.

NOW YOU HAVE SINCE DELETED THAT TWEET.

BUT IT HAD A RIPPLE EFFECT ON ART SHOWS THAT YOU WERE ABOUT TO HAVE IN MAJOR EUROPEAN CITIES IN LONDON AND PARIS.

AND I WONDER WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THAT AFFECT?

GALLERIES WHO SIGNED UP TO HOST YOUR WORK, THEY KNOW WHO YOU ARE.

THEY KNOW THAT YOU ARE POLITICALLY CHALLENGING THE STATUS QUO IN ALMOST EVERY CASE.

>> WELL, IT'S NOT ABOUT ME.

IT'S ABOUT TODAY WE CANNOT ALLOW ANY IDEA OR NOISE WHICH IS DIFFERENT FROM SOMEONE WHO LIKE THOSE TO BE.

SO THAT NOT AS EFFECTUAL, THAT IS TRUTHS.

THEY CANNOT ACCEPT GRAY AREA.

THEY WOULD ASK YOU YES OR NO.

THEY CANNOT SAY -- OTHERWISE IT'S NOT POSSIBLE.

SO WE COME TO A STAGE, WHICH IS REALLY ABOUT NOT ALLOWED FREEDOM OF THINKING AND THE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION.

SO THAT IS VERY TROUBLESOME FIND, BECAUSE WE LOST THE FOUNDATION OF TO HAVE A CIVILIZED SOCIETY TO REALLY HAVE PATIENT AND EVEN TO HAVE COMPASSION FOR SOMEONE BEING DIFFERENT.

AND SYMPATHY, TO HAVE A DIFFERENT VOICE.

SO I THINK OF THIS AS VERY TROUBLESOME TIME.

>> DO YOU SEE THIS AS SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENING THE WORLD OVER?

I MEAN, YES, THERE IS YOUR OPINION ON THIS SPECIFIC CONFLICT.

ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT THERE IS A CHILLING EFFECT ON FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, NOT JUST IN CHINA, BUT IN THE WEST AS WELL?

>> I USED TO THINK IT IN SECTARIAN STATE, CHINA OR NORTH KOREA OR PROBABLY CUBA, THIS, YOU KNOW.

BUT NOW WE SAY WHAT HAPPENS IN THE WEST CAN BE EVEN MORE SURPRISING.

IT CAN BE SOMETHING WE CAN NEVER IMAGINE.

UNIVERSITIES HEADS CAN BE QUESTIONS BY GOVERNMENT AND CAN BE DISMISSED.

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY A VERY BAD SIGN FOR SO-CALLED LIBERAL WORLD OR FREE WORLD.

AND THAT ONLY SHOWS THE WEAKNESS OF OUR BELIEVES.

AND WE DON'T HAVE THE HOW WE LOOK AT OURSELVES IF WE CANNOT ALLOW ANY ARGUMENT.

AND THAT IS VERY TROUBLESOME.

>> YOU WERE IN THE UNITED STATES IN THE '90s AS A YOUNG MAN, AND YOU WERE GOING TO SCHOOL.

I'VE READ THAT YOU WERE SO FASCINATED BY THE IRAN/CONTRA HEARINGS THAT YOU WERE ACTUALLY WATCHING THE GOVERNMENT KIND OF PUBLICLY DISPLAY THIS HOUSE CLEANING AND BEING TRANSPARENT AND OPEN.

AND I WONDER NOW A FEW DECADES LATER, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF SORT OF THE AMERICAN STATE OF OUR ABILITY TO BE OPEN?

BECAUSE WE SEE CHALLENGES HERE IN HOW OUR DEMOCRACY IS MOVING FORWARD.

DO YOU?

>> I SEE FIRST TIME HERE, IRAN/CONTRA HEARING, I WAS PRETTY SURPRISED.

BUT I STILL THINK THIS SOCIETY STILL HOLDS JUSTICE AND OPEN, TRANSPARENCY VERY HIGH.

BUT TODAY NOT ONLY THE MEDIA, BUT ALSO THE SO-CALLED JUDICIAL SYSTEM, AND THEY ALL BECOME PARTISANS, AND WHAT THEY DID IS REALLY BEYOND SURPRISING, REALLY.

AND I'M ONLY MAKING CHINA AND THE RUSSIAN LAUGHING ABOUT THE WEST.

YOU CANNOT -- EVERYBODY WOULD LOVE.

CHINA THE ONE TO TALK ABOUT U.S.

IT'S NO LONGER TO SAY AS A LAND FOR THE BRAVE AND THE LIBERALS, BUT RATHER CORRUPTION ON ALL SIDES.

NOW IT'S SUCH BACKWARDS.

AND THE QUESTION IS WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO ESTABLISH AS A MODERN SOCIETY FOR YEARS AND WHAT COLLAPSE IN ONE SECOND.

>> YOU WRITE IN THE BOOK THAT ANY ARTIST WHO ISN'T AN ACTIVIST IS A DEAD ARTIST.

AND I WONDER IN THE CLIMATE THAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING, IF THERE IS THIS KIND OF INCREASED SCRUTINY ON EXPRESSION AND FREEDOM.

HOW SHOULD AN ARTIST PROCEED WHEN THEIR WORK OR THEIR VIEWS MIGHT BE IN GREATER DANGER?

>> WELL, ARTIST BASICALLY IS A HUMAN BEING WHO IS NOT A VERY PRACTICALLY FUNCTIONING, AND THAT WHY THEIR VOICE VERY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING WHICH AGAINST THEIR INTUITION OR THEIR SENSITIVITY.

TO THESE ARTISTS ARE VERY CORRUPTED BECAUSE EDUCATION, BECAUSE THE MARKET, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW CAPITALISM AND MADE EVERYTHING MEASURED BY PRICE.

SO THERE IS VERY FEW ARTISTS WILLING TO OPENLY JUST GIVE OUT THEIR OPINIONS OR TO EXPRESS IT SUCCESSFULLY TO COMMUNICATE WITH ARTISTIC WAY.

TO UNIQUE POSITION.

SO THAT'S THE CONDITION.

>> WHAT'S YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO CHINA NOW?

IS THERE STILL A LONGING FOR, I DON'T KNOW, A SENSE OF HOME OR YOU'RE NOT LIVING THERE ANYMORE.

>> I'M NOT LIVING THERE ANYMORE.

I DON'T HAVE THIS KIND OF NOSTALGIA FEELING ABOUT CHINA, BECAUSE I'VE ALWAYS BEEN SEEN AS ONE WITH WHO -- ALWAYS BEEN PUSHED A AWAY WHILE I WAS IN CHINA, EVEN BEFORE I UNDERSTAND EXACTLY.

BUT STILL, I'M A CHINESE.

I SPEAK CHINESE.

I HOLD A CHINESE PASSPORT.

I'VE NEVER CHANGED IT.

THAT MEANS I'M A BIT STUBBORN PERSON.

I USED TO SAY I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE.

THEY SHOULD LEAF.

BUT NOW I LEFT.

AND I WISH THEM WELL, AND I STILL PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE.

AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST WISH THEM WELL.

>> SO YOU HAVE MADE ART, WHETHER IT'S LIFE VESTS TO TALK ABOUT THE MIGRANTS THAT ARE COMING ON SHORE IN LESBOS, OR A SNAKE MADE OF BACKPACKS TO THINK ABOUT THE CHILDREN WHO WERE KILLED IN THE EARTHQUAKE IN CHINA.

HOW DO YOU CONCEPTUALIZE A WORK TO TRY TO DISTILL A BIG IDEA INTO SOMETHING GRASPABLE?

>> AS ARTIST, YOU NEED A CERTAIN MATURE FORM TO CARRY OUT YOUR EXPRESSION.

I VISIT 20 NATIONS AND 40 DIFFERENT CAMPS, INTERVIEWED HUNDREDS OF REFUGEES.

IT'S JUST PREPARING MYSELF TO KNOW BETTER.

THEN IF IT WAS SIMPLE CONCLUSION, I THINK ALL THIS EFFORT IS TRYING TO GIVE INTEGRITY TO HUMAN CONDITIONS, TRYING TO RECOGNIZE WE ARE THE SAME.

EVEN WE LOOK DIFFERENT, I RECOGNIZE THAT, WE SHOULD BE KIND TO EACH OTHER, OR TO AT LEAST TO HAVE A COMPASSION.

AND THAT, YOU KNOW, OTHERWISE WE ARE STILL LIVING IN SOCIETY.

THERE IS NO HOPE.

>> AI WEIWEI, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

>> THANK YOU.