Haul Your Old Legos to the Brooklyn Museum (for Art)

The Brooklyn Museum has agreed to turn its front yard into a Lego dumping spot for Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei.

In September, the Lego corporation refused to fill Weiwei’s bulk order for bricks he planned to use in a massive, Australia-based Lego sculpture depicting Australian human-rights leaders.

Lego reps said in a press statement this week that “we refrain — on a global level — from actively engaging in or endorsing the use of LEGO bricks in projects or contexts of a political agenda.”

There was also some speculation that Lego’s expanding presence in China had something to do with its decision. (China just returned Weiwei’s passport to him in July, after 600 days of holding it hostage. For each one of those 600 days, Weiwei placed a bouquet of fresh flowers on a bike in front of his Beijing apartment in protest.)

In true Weiwei form, when Lego dissed Weiwei, Weiwei turned to the people.

His first Lego collection point was set up this week in a BMW outside the National Gallery of Victoria — the same Australian museum that will host the Lego sculpture in limbo.

Now, additional BMWs are being parked in front of museums around the world and filled with Legos for Weiwei.

For his New York City donations, Weiwei chose the Brooklyn Museum’s stately front courtyard.

Beginning Thursday, Oct. 29, a BMW will be parked outside the museum with its sunroof open. ”We don’t have an end date yet, but we’re thinking it will be there for about a month,” a spokeswoman for the Brooklyn Museum told Patch.

The Brooklyn Museum is also accepting Legos via snail mail on behalf of Weiwei. Packages can be sent to 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, New York, 11238.

Don’t be shy — any and all Legos will do. With any luck, your bricks will one day serve a higher purpose than toddler chew toy, and look damn good doing it.