For this thread, I drew on several key sources: Natasha Dhillon, “Ai Weiwei’s Photo Reenacting a Child Refugee’s Death Should Not Exist,” Hyperallergic; Judith Butler, Frames of War; Aruna D’Souza, Whitewalling. Special thanks to Professor @lizmarlowe.bsky.social for insightful discussions. 15/15End

a peace sign in a red circle on a rainbow background . ALT: a peace sign in a red circle on a rainbow background .

Therefore, anyone claiming to “paint” for justice must take responsibility. Art should not serve self-display or moral posturing. On canvas, fashion, or social media, creators must honor victims’ experiences and truth. Responsible art expands expression while preserving memory and justice. 14/15

Today, we live in a world still scarred by war, inequality, and violence. Yet the internet has expanded avenues for expression and advocacy—through different art forms, from traditional media like painting and film to fashion and even TikTok, each attempting, in its own way, to heal the world. 13/15

In the art world, cases of creators appropriating others’ suffering are far from rare. In Whitewalling, @arunadsouza.bsky.social examines such controversies and draws a clear lesson: true allyship means yielding voice, visibility, and resources to those enduring injustice—not stepping ahead. 12/15

In both Julia Fox and Ai Weiwei’s acts, grievability is reassigned to the artist. The public might mourn them as “moral symbols,” while Jacqueline’s trauma and the structural violence behind Kurdi’s death recede, erased or softened. 11/15

Judith Butler, author of Frames of War, reminds us that grievability—the recognition of whose lives are mournable—is not inherent but produced through political and visual frames. Today, this grievability becomes a commodity: trauma attracts attention, mourning generates exposure. 10/15

The reenactment relies on prior circulation of Kurdi’s image. As Natasha Dhillon noted, understanding Ai’s act assumes you’ve seen and been shaken by it. Without that memory, the gesture is meaningless—his “empathy” repackages consumed trauma instead of revealing present refugee realities. 9/15

The graffiti image at the harbor in Frankfurt, Germany, depicts drowned Syrian refugee Alan Kurdi. © Getty Images

Meanwhile, the public had already engaged: Kurdi’s photo was widely shared, with graffiti memorials on walls. These acts made mourning visible. Ai’s reenactment didn’t amplify this collective response—it replaced it, centering attention on himself rather than the victims or public engagement. 8/15

We can believe Ai felt empathy for Kurdi, just as Julia Fox might be moved by Jacqueline’s trauma. But the issue isn’t empathy—it’s narrative control. By placing his body in Kurdi’s, Ai’s reenactment overshadows the child’s death, replacing it with the artist’s symbolic gesture. #empathy 7/15

Ai was known for critiquing censorship & political oppression. Detained 81 days in 2011 and stripped of his passport by China, he moved to Europe in 2015 and began refugee projects. His exile was framed as moral capital “aligned with refugee experience,” but this was rarely questioned. 6/15

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei poses as a drowned Syrian refugee toddler Chinese artist Ai Weiwei just posed as the dead refugee boy Ayan Kurdi. The photograph is the cynosure of all eyes at the India Art Fair

This kind of reauthorship, claiming others’ trauma as personal expression, is not unique. A strikingly similar example is Chinese artist Ai Weiwei’s 2016 reenactment of Alan Kurdi, the drowned Syrian refugee toddler. 5/15 www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldvi...

If the goal were genuine commemoration, Julia Fox could have used her celebrity to direct people to archives or historical facts, instead of wearing the garment with her interpretation. Her choice refocused memory onto her image—as a self-styled advocate, beautiful, fashionable, and “creative.” 4/15

'Uncut Gems' actress Julia Fox sparks backlash over blood-stained Jackie Kennedy Halloween costume Julia Fox faces criticism for JFK assassination-inspired Halloween look, recreating Jackie Kennedy's iconic blood-stained pink suit from November 22, 1963.

Many media also reported that Jackie Kennedy’s blood-stained dress was never washed and was later archived at the U.S. National Archives in Maryland. This history was already preserved and publicly recognized—no bodily reenactment was needed to “remember” it. 3/15 www.foxnews.com/entertainmen...

She placed a symbol of mourning onto a stage of entertainment & spectacle. Her flawless, emotionless makeup made her so-called “anti-violence advocacy” hollow. I wonder: when someone else’s trauma is co-opted as style, does it still serve justice—or merely the creator’s moral posturing? #trauma 2/15

Julia Fox attends 'The Cursed Amulet' Halloween party presented by Julio Torres on Oct. 30. © Santiago Felipe / Getty Images

Using someone else’s “blood” as ink to create so-called “justice advocacy” art—how could that ever be innocent? This Halloween, Julia Fox donned Jackie Kennedy’s blood-stained pink outfit from the day of the assassination as a costume. The utterly absurd act sparked outrage in many…🩸 #ArtEthics 1/15