Artist Ai Weiwei was made an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Arts

"Ai Weiwei is one of the most important cultural figures of his generation in China and the world" – said in a statement on the official website of the Academy. Each year a panel of 80 academics working in the UK, chooses two honorary members of the Academy from a number of cultural figures from other countries. This year, along with Weiwei joins the ranks of academics Danish artist, architect and sculptor Per Kirkeby (Per Kirkeby). Arrested in April in Beijing airport Weiwei is accused of evading taxes and still detained. Online petition against his detention at the site of the New York Guggenheim Museum, has signed for 140 thousand people, while shares in favor of it were all over the world. Pyatidesyatichetyrehletny artist is known not only for his ambitious artistic projects, including the magnificent stadium, built for the Olympics in Beijing in 2008, and the installation of 100 million porcelain sunflower seeds scattered on the floor of London Tate Modern, but also criticizing the Chinese government.