April 3 – The Chinese artist and dissident Ai Weiwei is arrested and detained and his studio sealed off, by the government of the People's Republic of China, during an apparent crackdown by the regime on activists and dissidents. The government later states that Weiwei is being held while investigated for economic crimes.
June 22 – The Chinese legal authorities release Ai Weiwei on bail after three months' detention, after being charged with alleged tax evasion. His incarceration is widely viewed as an attempt to silence a prominent critic while authorities had time to decide on legal grounds for prosecuting him, and his detention prompts worldwide condemnation of the Chinese government.[8] According to China's Foreign Ministry, he is prohibited from leaving Beijing without permission for one year.[9][10] After his release Weiwei declines to give interviews saying that he is not allowed to talk.[10]
September & October – 2011 Montreal Museum of Fine Arts thefts. In two separate incidents, antique stone pieces are taken from the museum. One was recovered two years later in Edmonton; the other remains missing.
November 15 – Ai Weiwei pays 8.45 million yuan in taxes after receiving a large number of donations from supporters who believe the debt was politically motivated because of his criticism of the Chinese government.[11]
November 28 – The Knoedler art dealership in New York City announces its permanent closure amid revelations that it had been dealing in forged paintings.
Eva Zeisel, 105, Hungarian-born American ceramic artist and designer
Referencesedit
^"Museo Soumaya in Mexico City gets asymmetrical new building". Wired. November 26, 2010. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
^"Carlos Slim: At home with the world's richest man". The Daily Telegraph. London. February 21, 2011.
^Casey, Nicholas (March 3, 2011). "Emperor's New Museum". The Wall Street Journal. New York. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
^"Mexico's Carlos Slim Builds a Dazzling Art Palace". Business Week. New York. January 26, 2010. Archived from the original on January 29, 2010.
^Tuckman, Jo (March 2, 2011). "Mexican billionaire's new museum gives The Thinker much to ponder". The Guardian. London. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
^"Carlos Slim's Museo Soumaya: Money Can't Buy Taste". ArtInfo. April 12, 2011.
^ abcHiggins, Charlotte (April 10, 2011). "Amid tough times, gallery building boom brings hope for the future". The Guardian. p. 11.
^"Chinese state media say artist Ai Weiwei released from detainment". LA Times. June 22, 2011. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
^"Ai Weiwei 'cannot leave Beijing without permission'". BBC. June 23, 2011.
^ ab"Chinese artist Ai Weiwei: Free in body, not voice". The Associated Press.
^"China's Ai Weiwei pays $1.3 million tax bond". CNN. November 16, 2011. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
^"The Luminous Interval". Archived from the original on June 3, 2015. Retrieved June 3, 2015.