Ai weiwei Gangnam Style

Ai told The Associated Press on Thursday that he decided to make the video after learning that the family of his friend Zuoxiao Zuzhou, a famous rock star in China, was losing their home to a demolition crew. The artist said he thought a little humor could alleviate some of the frustration felt by the Chinese public.

"Our happiness is constantly being taken away from us, our homes demolished, we are always controlled, passports can be taken away from us, and all these can affect our happiness," Ai said. "However, every morning we have the opportunity to give others something to laugh about. Laughter is important."