Chinese artist He Xiangyu created a life-size fiberglass sculpture of dissident artist Ai Wei Wei’s corpse lying contorted face down on the ground. The title of the work ‘The Death of Marat’ refers to the 18^th century portrait by Jaques-Louis David of the French revolutionary leader murdered in his bath. In a similar vein, He’s work reflects the political persecution of progressive thinkers and artists who have been silenced and imprisoned; hence, the choice to use Ai, most well-known for his openly critical stance against the Chinese government. Ai has become a symbol of the struggle for human rights in China. When the work was displayed in a small German town, the incredibly life-like sculpture caused panic as passers-by mistook the artwork for an actual corpse.

Photos from Designboom