The market for contemporary Chinese art is expanding rapidly, drawing growing numbers of Western bidders and auction houses and driving demand for new work. Case in point: on April 3rd the auction record for a contemporary Chinese painting was set at Sotheby's Hong Kong, with "Forever Lasting Love" by Zhang Xiaogang going for $10 million. This increased interest seems to be linked with further government scrutiny being placed on artists. Perfectly illustrating this was the detention of Ai Weiwei in Beijing as he passed through immigration to catch a plane bound for Hong Kong, occurring the very same day that Chinese contemporary art reached a new market high. His whereabouts remain unknown and the Chinese government is angrily responding to criticism from foreign countries and respected art-world figures. Ai Weiwei is easily one of the most well-known Chinese artists working today. His installation "Sunflower Seeds" is currently filling (literally) the Tate Modern's Turbine Hall and his "Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads" is set to go on display in Central Park on May 2nd, the same day the Tate exhibition closes. I have nothing new to add to this discussion, as the topic has been widely discussed by experts in the fields of art and diplomacy. I simply wish to add my voice to those calling for not only Ai Weiwei's release, but his artistic freedom as well.
Guardian of London coverage of Ai Weiwei's detention
Artinfo's report on "Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads"
Tate Modern page for "Sunflower Seeds"
Artinfo on the April 3rd Sotheby's Hong Kong auction
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