An outspoken human rights activist, ai weiwei infuses his sculptures, photographs, and public artworks with political conviction and personal poetry, often making use of recognizable and historic chinese art forms in critical examinations of a host of contemporary chinese political and social issues. Ai weiwei latest news, breaking stories and comment the. Jun 07, 2017 ai weiwei transforms the park avenue armory into a hightech surveillance state and its fun. File in this april, 2019 file photo, people stand under the portraits of 43 disappeared teachers college students, by chinese concept artist and government critic ai weiwei at the. Oct 21, 2014 in 2011, dissident artist ai weiwei was imprisoned by chinese authorities for 81 days. This autumn, three important works, including one of ai weiwei s famous sculptures, will make their auction debut at the anticipated sothebys hong kong contemporary asian art sale. The article provides a holistic appraisal of activistartist ai weiweis work. Ai weiwei his only exposure to art and literature until adulthood. Ai weiwei is a chinese contemporary artist and activist.
Ai weiwei yorkshire sculpture park ysp is proud to announce an exhibition by ai weiwei, opening in the parks newly refurbished 18th century chapel following a. Ai weiwei s alternative vision for beijings buildings with a display on beijings caochangdi in our architecture space, our curator discusses the ai weiwei designed buildings of this artists region, and their place in a rapidly developing city. The installation souvenir from shanghai by chinese artist ai weiwei is on display as part of the exhibition evidence at the martingropius bau museum in berlin april 1, 2014. Chinas bestknown artist, ai weiwei, has been detained in beijing and police have searched his studio, confiscated computers and questioned. Firsttime director, alison klayman, spent three years following weiwei as he prepared for major. Ai weiweis shockingly detailed remake of his life in a. Human flow, a film about the global refugee crisis shot in 23 countries that documents the artists desire to understand it, will be released this fall. Find out how computers have shaped his work as he grapples with. He can ally himself with major institutions, which can in turn expect his name to draw huge crowds. Ai weiwei is a beijingbased artist and activist whose work encompasses sculpture, installation, photography, film, architecture, curation, and social criticism. Pdf art and materiality in the global refugee crisis.
Art can take you anywhere, but it can also bring the lives of. Ai weiweis artworks and the emerging aesthetics of mobilities, mobilities, 14. His father, a famous revolutionary poet, fell out of favor with the chinese communist government. After the success of his tate modern show in london, dissident chinese artist ai weiwei is coming to berlin. In a 2014 article, christian sorace characterizes ai weiweis work.
Berlin, martingropiusbau, ai weiwei evidence, 3 april 7 july 2014, pp. The artist ai weiwei has not been heard from since sunday morning beijing time, when he was detained at the beijing airport before a routine flight to hong kong. He can ally himself with major institutions, which can. Ai weiweis fairytale1001 chairs 200714, seen here at documenta 12 in kassel, 2007.
Evidence, the martingropiusbau in berlin has prepared one of the biggest exhibitions of ai weiwei to date. Ai wei weis unfortunate tweet quarantine diary, 5th day. In may 2014, the ullens center for contemporary art, a nonprofit art center situated in. Chinese dissident artist ai weiweis documentary about the current refugee crisis, human flow, will premiere at the 74th venice international film festival. 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. Ai weiwei erased from show in shanghai the new york times. China, notes ai s fascination with artists marcel duchamp and andy warhol and the resulting influence upon the artists work. His company, fake design, treats projects as evidence of mankind at. Ai weiwei just finished working on his latest installation entitled reframe, a street piece built using 22 rubber boats presented on the facade of palazzo strozzi, a palace in florence, italy. Ai weiwei, surveillance camera, 2010, marble, installation view ai weiweis ability to strike a balance between art objects for aesthetic and intellectual contemplation on the one hand, and a sustained and forceful critique of the chinese political establishment on the other, has made him a potent cultural and political force in recent years. The large orange life rafts are anchored to the the famous palaces windows, in an effort to draw attention to the treatment of refugees in europe who are risking their lives. Main suspect absolved in 2014 student disappearances. Art21 produces the peabody awardwinning pbsbroadcast series. Chinese contemporary art research papers on academia.
Tim cheung image courtesy of sothebys more than 250 lots, estimated in excess of hkd 230 million, will go under the hammer at. In each photograph, ai weiwei himself, wearing a sweatshirt, darkcolored pants, and loafers, stands in front of a brick. Ai weiwei, wadegiles romanization ai weiwei, born may 18. It is, rather, evidence of the ethical challenge his work. Ai weiwei on alcatraz, organized by forsite, a san francisco producer. Fairytale covers ai weiweis project fairytale, part of europes most innovative fiveyear art event documenta 12 in kassel, germany in 2007. The case for ai weiwei the art assignment pbs digital. Artist and activist ai weiwei s 2017 documentary film. The 10 best documentaries about the future highsnobiety.
Apr 22, 2014 exhibition ai weiweis evidence article by aj kiyoizumi in berlin. Ai weiwei has worked in everything from paint to readymades. Reframe by ai weiwei in florence, italy streetartnews. An outspoken human rights activist, ai was arrested by chinese authorities in april 2011 and held incommunicado for three months. Ai weiwei, bicycle basket with flowers in porcelain, 2014. Ai weiwei on his lego portraits of fellow activists the chinese artist created trace while under house arrest, and he wasnt allowed to travel to their san francisco debut. Jun 20, 2014 ai weiweis success as an artist on the international stage allows him the luxury of working big. Ai weiwei transforms the park avenue armory into a hightech. Filmed by andreas heck, original music by tan dun, mixed and resampled by andreas heck. In 18 rooms and in the spectacular court lichthof the retrospective features works and installations that were either designed specifically for the building or have not yet been shown in germany.
Ai weiweis freedom by fiat in china the new yorker. A nonprofit organization, art21s mission is to inspire a more creative world through the works and words of contemporary artists. Ai weiwei on alcatraz, organized by forsite, a san francisco producer of public art, in the prison hospital, a. The martingropiusbau opened a oneman show of ai weiweis work titled evidence. Apr 03, 2011 the artist ai weiwei has not been heard from since sunday morning beijing time, when he was detained at the beijing airport before a routine flight to hong kong. Ai weiweis first exhibition in turkey is inspired by. Ai weiwei refugee crisis film to be screened at venice. The exhibition evidence of ai weiwei is on until july, 2014. Ai weiwei is one of the worlds most famous artists, consistently topping power lists and grabbing headlines around the globe. For seven months between september 2014 and april 2015, the chinese artist ai. Nov 25, 2011 t he surveillance camera police have trained on the turquoise gate of ai weiwei s studio in north beijing captures a steady stream of visitors. Ai weiwei s internet presence, friction with the chinese government, and now his 18room solo show at martingropiusbau and professorial status at berlins university of the arts has made him into one of our most accessible, talkedabout, and beloved artists in the world the exhibition, titled evidence, shows new works that have. Ai weiwei takes his work to a prison the new york times.
Filmed by andreas heck, original music by tan dun, mixed and re. As an activist, he has been openly critical of the chinese governments stance on democracy and human rights. He later became a member of the artist group stars, which refused to create chinese art that followed government guidelines. Ai weiwei is famous for crossing boundaries, especially the boundary between art. Evan osnos joined the new yorker as a staff writer in 2008. Ai weiwei embraces the political the new york times. Ai weiwei born 1957 is an artist, architect and politician. Kaya barry 2019 art and materiality in the global refugee crisis. Ai weiwei sits down with us to chronicle how the internet has profoundly impacted his artwork and led to international recognition. Credit shiho fukada for the new york times the name and works of ai weiwei have been removed from a show in shanghai about the history of chinese contemporary art because of pressure from local government cultural officials, according to mr. While ais art was lauded internationally, the frequently provocative and subversive dimension of his art, as well as his. Beijing, june 22, 20 the ai weiwei studio released ai weiweis first music album, the divine comedy, today to commemorate the second anniversary of his release from an 81day secret detention.
In his sculptural works he often uses reclaimed materialsancient pottery and. Browse the independent s complete collection of articles and commentary on ai weiwei. Upon his release, he was prohibited from traveling abroad, engaging in public speech, and was subjected to continued government surveillance. May 17, 2014 ai weiwei s fairytale1001 chairs 200714, seen here at documenta 12 in kassel, 2007. As our landmark exhibition examines work from 1993 up to the present day, we take a look at some of. Never sorry is a film about ai weiwei, a renowned chinese artist and activist who continually champions the values of democracy and human rights, and thus works in opposition to chinas authoritarian government. Even to people unfamiliar with the art world, ai is a source of. Ai weiwei, chinese artist and activist whose work included sculptural installations, architectural projects, photographs, and videos. Ai weiweis success as an artist on the international stage allows him the luxury of working big. Modern art as performanceai weiweis activism contemporary.
Users may download andor print one copy of any articles in. Accompanying a major new exhibition of ai weiweis work, including many pieces made especially for the. Art can take you anywhere, but it can also bring the lives of others home to you. Ai weiwei s wooden map of china continues to stir the heat. Scroll on to see our selection of the 10 best documentaries about the future. I left china telling my mother that i would return only when i was more famous than picasso. It spans three decades of the dissident chinese artists career.
Ai weiwei latest news, breaking stories and comment. From 20 may 2014 when the david bowie exhibition starts open daily from 10am 8pm. The initial post misspelled the name of ai weiweis son. Get premium, high resolution news photos at getty images. Ai grew up in the far northwest of china, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his fathers exile. T he surveillance camera police have trained on the turquoise gate of ai weiweis studio in north beijing captures a steady stream of visitors. Sep 18, 2016 ai weiwei just finished working on his latest installation entitled reframe, a street piece built using 22 rubber boats presented on the facade of palazzo strozzi, a palace in florence, italy. The installation souvenir from shanghai by chinese. In 2011, dissident artist ai weiwei was imprisoned by chinese authorities for 81 days. Ai and uli sigg, a swiss art collector who helped organize. China at the armory show 2014 in new york city, curator philip tinari reflects on the work of chinese artist ai weiwei. Nov 19, 2015 ai weiwei is one of the worlds most famous artists, consistently topping power lists and grabbing headlines around the globe. Evidence 2014 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more.
While ais art was lauded internationally, its frequently provocative dimension as well as his political outspokenness triggered forms of repression from chinese authorities. The documentary goes onto chronologically reconstruct the events that occurred from the time he. Ai weiwei refugee crisis film to be screened at venice film. As our landmark exhibition examines work from 1993 up to the present day, we take a look at some of the key works to know from across ais career. Jul 23, 2015 ai weiwei is returning to the world but he is not entirely free. Ai weiweis internet presence, friction with the chinese government, and now his 18room solo show at martingropiusbau and professorial status at berlins university of the arts has made him into one of our most accessible, talkedabout, and beloved artists in the world the exhibition, titled evidence. Description of the artwork dropping a han dynasty urn is a series of three lifesized blackand white photographs.
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