finally someone in the art world to speak out against ai weiwei's egoistic aesthetics, and it is a chinese counterpart:

San Francisco Art Institute director Hou Hanru argues that human rights are being turned into a global slogan. Citing Ai Weiwei as an example, Hou suggests that one can observe how the global art world is blending more and more into the market, and how the market is always looking for the “other” that can be consumed right away. “It is not about a certain aesthetic, but it’s about what I have called ‘tokenist images,’ ” he says, noting that these are “spectacular, recognizable eye-catchers.” For example, Hou questions the ways in which Ai stands up for human rights but also takes pictures of himself after he is beaten by the police, and turns the image into one of his main works for the West. Hou claims, “It’s just about generating an image that will satisfy the political voyeurism with a new spectacle.” In the interview, Hou goes on to discuss Brecht and strategies of distancing or alienation after World War II. “How can we complicate the relationship between production and consumption or reception?” Hou asks. “Brecht insisted on his independence. He wanted to create a space that would cool off our excessive passion for good.