【新唐人2011年5月18日訊】自從艾未未被關押後，西方世界從民間到政府，抗議的聲音是前所未有的，尤其西方藝術界持續進行各種形式的抗議，在加拿大多倫多，藝術家們設立了營救艾未未的網頁，並連續到多倫多中共領事館前抗議，爲什麽他們對一個從未謀面的中國藝術家如此關註，請看本臺記者帶來的故事。

一億顆手工製作，繪製的葵花籽，每個都像生活中的我們一樣，有著微妙的獨特個性和各種的不同。

“它那麼溫馨，可愛，也很棒，一個個獨立的葵花籽，但是有一百萬個，想想這個規模，它的隱喻含義，讓我們想到中國人，那個巨大的國家，艾未未用他獨特的方式感動著人們，一個溫暖而關心他人的人。”

正是艾未未的這個作品讓多倫多的藝術界關註起中國的狀況，艾未未被抓讓尼可和她的藝術同行震驚，尼可發起了“艾未未在哪裏”的營救活動。

“我真切的感受到生活在民主制度下的自豪，能自由的來畫室創作我想創作的，並用我喜歡的 任何方式呈現給公眾，也讓我思考中國人到底生存在甚麼狀態下。我的良知被這種特殊的方式喚醒了。”

多倫多資深的藝術評論家薩拉－米爾瑞（sarah milroy)關註艾未未的藝術創作10多年了，薩拉說，艾未未被關押，使他更具有感召力，對藝術家和中國的年輕人會有很大的榜樣作用。

“我設想艾未未的被抓很可能激勵起中國的年輕人，不光是藝術家，對中國人來說會有巨大的影響。”

西方世界持續抗議艾未未被中共當局關押，規模和程度都是前所未有的，薩拉錶示這給很多被壓迫的民眾以激勵。

他的故事讓世界各地的人受到激勵，現在世界各地的人都可以說，我們不用再恐懼，我們可以通過互聯網，社交網絡組成集體的反抗力量，這切切實實的從根本上改變了人們的觀念，人們不必不得不服從我們不喜歡的事情。

尼可錶示多倫多藝術界想要傳達的一個信息是，加拿大從中國進口很多商品，但這種交換不能只是貿易，現在是加拿大要求中國遵循同樣人權標準的時候了。

“更多文化上的交換，更多的交換針對如何像一個生活在地球上的人一樣行為”。

尼可認為隨著真相廣為人知，會形成波浪般的效應，帶來巨大的改變。

“如果我說些甚麼，另外5個人說些甚麼，再有5個，不斷的增長，波浪就是這麼形成的，波濤由一個個的水滴組成，互相合作，互相補充能量，然後真相的波濤一衝而下。”

薩拉認為，在中東風起雲湧的茉莉花革命的趨勢下，中國發生同樣的革命很有可能。

“情況非常非常的不同了，中東發生的事情，給人感覺所有的事情都在改變，人們自然會認為，中國也會發生同樣的事情，特別是如果中共當局持續這樣對待自己受人尊敬的公民。”

新唐人記者劉淑君採訪報導。

Ai Weiwei Inspires Chinese Youth

Upon learning about Ai Weiwei’s arrest,

many Westerners, from ordinary people

to government officials, protested

the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) actions,

particularly, Western artists who took part in

various protest activities.

In Toronto, Canada, artists built websites

to help rescue Ai as they continue to protest outside

of the Chinese embassy in Toronto.

Why do they pay so much attention

to a total stranger? Here’s why…

100 million hand-made, hand-painted

sunflower seeds are like people in real life,

with their uniqueness and differences.

“Each sunflower seed is so warm, lovely, and great.

There are 100 million of them. Think of the number.

It reminds us of the Chinese people

and the vast territory of China.

Ai Weiwei is a kind-hearted person who cares

about others and touches people in his own way.”

It is Ai Weiwei’s work, “Sunflower Seeds”

which attracted Toronto’s artists’ attention

to China’s current situation.

Ai’s arrest shocked Nichole and her colleagues.

She started a rescue effort called “Where Is Ai Weiwei?”

“As a person living in a democratic world,

I feel proud that I can go into my studio and

freely create any art form that I want to

and present it to the public in any way I chose.

This makes me think about the living conditions

of the Chinese people.

My conscience is aroused in a unique way.”

Senior Toronto art critic, Sarah Milroy,

has followed Ai’s art for 10 years.

Sarah said, “Ai’s arrest makes him inspiring

and a model for Chinese artists and youth.”

“I think Ai’s arrest is very likely to inspire, not only

artists, but also Chinese youth, and will have

a huge impact on the Chinese people.”

“The Western world’s ongoing protests

against Ai’s unlawful arrest by CCP authorities

is unprecedented, whether in size or extent.”

Sarah said that his arrest will inspire many people

whose voices are suppressed.

“Ai’s story has inspired people all around the world.

Now, people everywhere can say that

nobody needs to be afraid and we can organize

countervailing forces through the Internet and

social networks. It fundamentally changes

people’s way of thinking and people no longer need

to obey rules that they don’t agree with.”

Nick said the message that Toronto’s artists

want to convey, is that Canada imports many

products from China,

but communications shouldn’t be limited to trade

and now it is time to require China to obey

the same human rights rules as other countries.

“More cultural exchanges and more exchanges

about how to behave like a human being on earth.”

Nick thinks that as the truth spreads, a wave effect

will form, bringing about a huge change.

“If I say something and five people repeat what I say,

and then those five people tell five other people what

I said… well, as the number increases,

a wave will form which is composed of drops of water

which cooperate with each other and encourage

each other. Then the wave of truth will pour down.”

Sarah thinks that if Chinese people were allowed to

know about the Jasmine Revolution in Middle East,

it is very likely that China will undergo

the same type of revolution.

“The situation is very different.

What happened in the Middle East makes people

believe that things are changing in the world.

People naturally believe that China

will experience the same thing, considering the CCP’s

long suppression of their people.”

NTD reporter Liu Shujun