Celebrated Chinese contemporary artist Ai Weiwei, known for his counter-cultural works, has jumped media and released a heavy metal single titled Dumbass. The artist, who has openly criticised the Chinese Government on numerous occasions, stated the track was inspired by his 81-day detention in 2011, part of an overall government crack down on dissidents at the time.
The release has been coupled with a video clip featuring and directed by Ai Weiwei with cinematography by acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Doyle.
Although authorities maintain that Ai Weiwei was held for tax evasion his detainment occurred shortly after the artist had commented on a number of sensitive issues, particularly the death of children in poorly built schools during the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan.
Ai Weiwei has dedicated the Dumbass video to those people who have no means of speaking out against such atrocities:
“This is not just one generation. In the past 60 years there have been innumerable amounts of people who have been killed or taken away from their homes, even tortured to death.”
The music itself was composed by Zuoxiao Zuzhou, a Beijing-based heavy metal artist, and will feature as part of a 6-song album titled Divina Commedia, a reference to Italian poet Dante.
Ai Weiwei has stated that the transition to music has been difficult but he is dedicated to mastering the art.
WATCH: Ai Weiwei – Dumbass
