If you dont speak out or clear your mind, then who are you. The new criterion art september 2012 the new political art by james panero on ai weiwei, pussy riot, and the right way to do political art. Since constructing his own studio in 1999, the chinese artist ai weiwei has designed or collaborated with other architects on a wide. Ai weiwei responds to chinese authorities destroying his beijing studio the chinese dissident artist tells npr his studio is in the process of being demolished. Chinese authorities are razing a beijing studio of dissident artist ai weiwei, as his team race to remove years worth of his sculptures. Upon his release, he was prohibited from traveling abroad, engaging. Ai weiweis blog in 2006, even though he could barely type, chinas most famous artist started blogging. While ais art was lauded internationally, its frequently provocative dimension as well as his political outspokenness triggered forms of repression from chinese authorities. Ai weiwei is chinas most celebrated contemporary artist, and its most outspoken domestic critic. A pdf of this interview as it was published in the large glass is available to. Ai weiwei is renowned for making strong aesthetic statements that resonate with timely phenomena across todays geopolitical world. Ai weiwei has been called an iconoclast, a radical, a voice for the voiceless, and was once named the most powerful artist in the world. Entitled ai weiwei mirror, the exhibition included seminal political statements.
Ai weiwei constantly pushes boundaries using a range of creative practices including the power of digital communication that. Ai weiwei was born on august 28, 1957, in beijing, china, to chinese poet ai qing. Bare life presents over 35 artworks, including several new. Get the best deals on ai weiwei art sculptures when you shop the largest online selection at. Ai weiwei splits a 400yearold temple between two beijing galleries. Born in 1957, ai learned about life and art through unconventional means. Congratulation on your mia installtation i am not sure if.
D installation is a sixpart work composed of six iron boxes depicting scenes from the chinese artists 81day incarceration back. Background ai weiwei was born on august 28, 1957 in beijing, china. Beijing, june 22, 20 the ai weiwei studio released ai weiwei s first music album, the divine comedy, today to commemorate the second anniversary of his release from an 81day secret detention. Today, i called 110 three times to file a report, sending those two plainclothes cops who were trailing me to the psb.
While not as widely presented as his artistic oeuvre, ai weiweis work in the field of architecture is extremely important for the artist because of the collaborative that is social and political aspect of it. Ai weiwei designs footprint flag as a symbol for human rights. Ai weiweis fences take on borders and belonging in nyc exhibit. Art architecture at kunsthaus bregenz vernissagetv. Ai weiwei and the art of protest connected learning alliance. Beijing photographs 19932003 is an autobiography in pictures. The single dumbass, premiered last month along with its music video, is included in the album.
Gene sherman got to know ai weiwei in 2006 through the sherman visual arts residency programme, and the work he created for the first sherman contemporary art foundation scaf project in 2008 was one of his first international shows. The kub exhibition concentrates on ai weiweis major architectural collaborations. Ai weiwei is the most famous chinese artist living today. From architecture to installations, social media to documentaries, ai uses a wide range of mediums as expressions of new ways for his audiences to examine society and its values. These two themes have affected and galvanised the artist. Conceptmain idea of lesson intended grade levels infusion. Ai weiweis beijing studio razed by chinese authorities. In a country where free speech is not recognized as a right, the police have beaten him up. Ai weiwei this socalled contemporary art is not a form, but a philosophy of society. Architecture by ai weiwei the strength of architecture. I went back to china and a lot of roads were fixed, a lot of buildings, and they. Ai weiwei is a chinese contemporary artist, active in sculpture, installation, architecture, curating, photography, film, and social, political and cultural. As an activist, he calls attention to human rights violations on an epic scale.
The architects newspaper is the most authoritative voice on architecture and design in the united states. While ai s art was lauded internationally, its frequently provocative dimension as well as his political outspokenness triggered forms of repression from chinese authorities. A relentless activist with passion for architecture. Ai weiwei in conversation with anthony downey third text.
The case for ai weiwei the art assignment pbs digital. Ai weiwei porcelain sunflower seeds london tate modern 100 pc free linen bag. Born in beijing in 1957 to gao ying, a writer, and ai qing, a famous poet who himself was once jailed, ai weiwei was aged one when he was sent with his parents into forced exile. Ai weiwei beijing studio demolished without warning. This phenomenon has, in turn, transformed the chinese architecture market into. An outspoken human rights activist, ai was arrested by chinese authorities in april 2011 and held incommunicado for three months. Art and activism in ai weiweis works the island prof. Ai weiwei launches kickstarter to build securityfence installations in new york. This is the official facebook page for news, research, new developments and documentations related to ai weiweis studio. A closer look conceptmain idea of lesson in this lesson, students will engage in a deeper consideration of chinese artist ai weiweis work, noting important influences on the artist.
A closer look conceptmain idea of lesson in this lesson, students will engage in a deeper consideration of chinese artist ai weiwei s work, noting important influences on the artist. In this short interview, the chinese artist talks about his first building, his sources of inspiration and his. The artwork that made me the most dangerous person in china ai weiwei in 2009, the dissident artist created a work to honour the thousands of children who died in the sichuan earthquake. Ai weiwei is a chinese contemporary artist, active in sculpture, installation, architecture, curating, photography, film, and social, political and cultural criticism. The project will be created using techniques and approaches featured in the art show subrosa, with special emphasis of the work by chinese artist ai weiwei. The man is an artist, a radical, and a human rights activist. Ai weiweis work in chinese art history and looks at how the artist has deliberately. These collaborations were the subject of ai weiwei. Chinese artist ai weiwei is crowdsourcing funds to erect more than 300 artworks based on themes of immigration, division and borders, in locations across new york city. Ai weiweis philosophy has always revolved around utilizing architecture and art as means of achieving social transformation. As a result of his fathers denouncement from the antirightist movement, ais family was sent to a labor camp in beidahuang and was eventually exiled to shihezi, xinjiang. I notice in the press form the minneapolis institute of art your show is on tour with other artists. The dissident chinese artist ai weiwei says the authorities in beijing have demolished his studio there. In a series of clips on instagram showing the former factory being torn down, ai said that.
He is an outspoken advocate of human rights and freedom of speech. Ai weiwei has worked in many mediums, including sculpture, installation, photography, architecture, and film. Chinese artist and activist ai weiwei has designed a light blue flag with a white footprint, to raise awareness about the importance. Intended grade levels grades 912 infusionsubject areas visual arts social studies curriculum standards visual arts. Rising out of the countryside just two hours upstate from new york city is the tsai residence, the only private house that famed chinese artist, ai weiwei, designed in the united states. He is also extensively active in the fields of architecture, sculpture, photography, and filmmaking. Conceptmain idea of lesson the purpose of this lesson is to allow students the opportunity to design and create an original art project that illuminates a current problem or issue. This is just a sign of another failure for the chinese government in a twoday digital conference, the artist shares his thoughts on the communist partys handling of the. Ai weiwei, chinese artist and activist whose work included sculptural installations, architectural projects, photographs, and videos. Ai weiwei splits a 400yearold temple between two beijing. Chinese artist ai weiwei was selected as one of the runnerup candidates for times 2011 person of the year award. Its almost impossible to visit an ai weiwei exhibition without considering the.
Ai weiweis fences take on borders and belonging in nyc. Ai weiwei responds to chinese authorities destroying his. The kunsthaus in bregenz austria explores the architectural work of ai weiwei with a solo show titled art architecture. For more than three years, ai weiwei turned out a steady stream of scathing social commentary, criticism of government policy, thoughts on art and architecture, and autobiographical writings. This dissertation will unravel the mechanisms working within ai weiweis studio fig. Ai weiweis blog documents ais passion, his genius, his hubris, his righteous. Several pdf versions of it are available on the web, such as. Ai weiwei, architecture and space, blog posted january 2006 introduction artist ai weiwei occupied alcatraz, one of north americas most infamous penitentiaries, via artworks designed to provoke our perception of freedom and imprisonment. For more than three years, ai weiwei turned out a steady stream of s. Ai weiwei is a multimedia artist and provocateur whose work has frequently challenged the chinese government.