Ai Weiwei performs dance moves from Gangnam Style

Ai said he decided to make the humorous film after hearing that a friend's family home was being demolished by Chinese authorities.

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

Ai said Chinese authorities had quickly closed down the video.

"We uploaded the video early this morning, so the video was being played around 9 am on many Chinese websites, seen by tens of thousands, it was very hot. But now, the video cannot be seen anymore," he said.

In the four-minute video, Ai imitates South Korean performer Psy's signature horse-riding dance. At one point, Ai pulls a pair of handcuffs from his pocket and waves them in the air in a possible reference to the 81 days he spent in detention in 2011.