"Solzhenitsyn had only his typewriter to express himself, but... in creating Sunflower Seeds, Ai made himself the central player in a simulacrum of the very system he criticizes. The film portrays him as a benign presence, amiably chatting up laborers he evidently pays well—though presumably nothing like the $600,000 asking price here for an even smaller (weighing in the kilograms) edition of the work. In truth, he holds real power over them, and in this respect he isn’t simply someone speaking out against injustice: He’s offering himself as an alternative to the existing order. No wonder the authorities are freaked out by the guy."
http://newyork.timeout.com/arts-culture/art/2507799/review-ai-weiwei-sunflower-seeds