Chinese artist ai weiwei poses for a photograph with his installation entitled sunflower seeds, at its unveiling in the turbine hall at the tate modern gallery, in. Ai weiwei is chinas most celebrated contemporary artist, and its most outspoken domestic critic. Working in sculpture, photography, film, installation, design, music, and architecture, ai engages political and cultural criticism to investigate instances of government corruption and coverups, confronting chinas stance on democracy and human rights. A continuation of his ongoing engagement with the global refugee crisis. Ai weiwei phaidon contemporary artist series karen smith, hans ulrich obrist, bernard fibicher, ai weiwei, craig garrett, michele robecchi on. This is the first comprehensive monograph on ai weiwei b. The refugee crisis is not about refugees, rather, it is about us. Ai weiwei is super active in the world of contemporary art, posting to his instagram, posing as a drowned syrian refugee, decorating berlins konzerthaus with 14,000 life jackets. What picasso was to the 20th century, ai weiwei is to the 21st, and if our century is to be the chinese century, then its fitting that the greatest artist of the age is chinese. This slim, pocketsized volume compiles quotes made by ai in interviews, in newspaper articles, on his blog, and via twitter. Ai weiwei on the global refugee crisis, the chinese movie industry, and his new film why chinas bestknown artist and director of the acclaimed 2017 film human flow returned to the. Ai weiwei, anish kapoor, wolfgang tillmans and phaidon. Ai weiwei was aged one when he was sent with his parents into forced exile.
Artist, designer, architect, author, publisher and curator. But shortly after returning to shanghai in 1932, the anticommunist nationalist government deemed ai qing a leftist and jailed him for. Once part of an elaborate water garden that was left in ruins after the opium wars, the site on the. Ai weiwei, chinese artist and activist whose work included sculptural installations, architectural projects, photographs, and videos. A figure of warholian celebrity as labeled by new york times, he is renowned for his political activism and social media activity almost as much as for his social interventions, approach to the. A nonprofit organization, art21s mission is to inspire a more creative world through the works and words of contemporary artists. A global citizen, artist and thinker, ai weiwei moves between modes of production and investigation, subject to the direction and outcome of his research, whether into the chinese earthquake of 2008 for works such as straight, 200812 and remembering, 2009 or the worldwide plight of refugees and forced migrants for law of the journey and his feature. See more ideas about ai weiwei, wei wei and contemporary art. Ai weiwei is the worlds most famous living artist, but is this entirely because of his art. In april 2011, when ai disappeared into police custody for three. A global survey of 100 of todays most important clay and ceramic artists, chosen by leading art world professionals.
At the controversial center of ai weiweis great wall of art in new york, the dissident artist is selfieobsessed and selfreflective. According to ai weiwei, his father was a very good artist who had studied painting in paris. 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. But as chinese artist ai weiweis new book weiweiisms. Ai weiweis laundromat addresses the refugee crisis hypebeast. An outspoken human rights activist, ai was arrested by chinese authorities in april 2011 and held incommunicado for three months. Nov 19, 2015 ai weiwei is one of the worlds most famous artists, consistently topping power lists and grabbing headlines around the globe. Our prioritisation of financial gain over peoples struggle for the necessities of life is the primary cause of much of this crisis. Ai weiwei is one of the most wellknown, influential, and prolific artists active in china today. Art21 produces the peabody awardwinning pbsbroadcast. The charges of tax evasion, online dissemination of pornography, and bigamy that were levied against ai are widely perceived as political. Ai weiwei is one of the worlds most famous artists, consistently topping power lists and grabbing headlines around the globe. Weiwei isms by weiwei ai and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
Even to people unfamiliar with the art world, ai is a source of. The first comprehensive monograph on the life and work of activist and dissident chinese artist ai weiwei, this luxurious, silkwrapped tome takes. Taschens new book, meticulously edited and lavishly produced. Weiweiisms published by princeton university press in 2012 is a collection of ai weiweis thoughts on key aspects of his art, politics, and life. Sep 27, 2017 controversy rages on over the solomon r. Not all of the commentary about him is positive, and im sure thats as he would like it. Celebrated within the art world, but not dependent on its institutions to reach an audience, ai weiwei is perhaps the first global artist to fully exploit the power of social media. Ai weiwei hon ra is a truly twentyfirstcentury creative, influential across a variety of media. Find an indepth biography, exhibitions, original artworks for sale, the latest news, and sold auction prices. The first comprehensive monograph on the life and work of activist and dissident chinese artist ai weiwei, this luxurious, silkwrapped tome takes the cake for summers most sumptuous gift book. We work with the worlds most influential artists, chefs, writers and. Ai weiweis bicycles come to london art agenda phaidon. His recent exhibitions include sunflower seeds at the tate modern, london, a vast assemblage of handcrafted porcelain sunflower seeds. In april 2011, when ai disappeared into police custody for three months, he.
With his personal circumstances moving in constant flux, ai weiwei, a chinese artist, remains a cultural magnet. His most recent topic of focus has been the global. He then returned to china, an environment far less open to such views. A figure of warholian celebrity as labeled by new york times, he is renowned for his political activism and social media activity almost as much as for his social interventions, approach to the readymade, and knowledge of chinese. Chairman mao was the first in the world to use twitter, says ai. Art21 is a celebrated global leader in presenting thoughtprovoking and sophisticated content about contemporary art, and the goto place to learn firsthand from the artists of our time.
An artwork by chinese artist ai weiwei, titled the dog mobile. Firsttime director, alison klayman, spent three years following weiwei as he prepared for major. Sep 28, 2015 phaidon is the premier global publisher of the creative arts with over 1,500 titles in print. 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. Weiweiisms by ai, weiwei and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. As a selfstyled guerrilla in the battle for political transparency and freedom of expression in china, he comments, opines and tweets to some 200,000 followers for. The documentary goes onto chronologically reconstruct the events that occurred from the time he was arrested at the beijing airport in april 2011 to his. He has translated the readymade into a new artistic language, fusing neolithic pottery, fourteenthcentury doors and seventeenthcentury temple beams into surprising, at times shocking sculptures. More people know of him as a fearless scourge of the chinese government than have ever seen a single.
Ai weiwei floats lifevest lotus flowers in vienna phaidon. A car for francis bacon by ai weiwei, with images of a dog painted on a mercedes benz gclass, is displayed at an exhibition hall. This problem has such a long history, a human history. Authors ai weiwei ai weiwei is one of todays most important and controversial artists. Here is an indepth look at ai weiweis laundromat project on display in new york. See available sculpture, prints and multiples, and photographs for sale and learn about the artist. Phaidon is the premier global publisher of the creative arts with over 1,500 titles in print.
Contemporary chinese artist ai weiwei has always been an outspoken activist for human rights. Vitamin c celebrates the revival of clay as a material for contemporary visual artists, featuring a wide range of global talent as selected by the worlds leading curators, critics, and art professionals. Our prioritisation of financial gain over peoples struggle for the necessities of life is. Ai weiwei has 36 books on goodreads with 2962 ratings. His provocative blend of chinese history and tradition within a wholly contemporary practice serves as a form of human rights activism, cultural commentary, and critique of the global imbalance of powera fact that has turned ai into a political target. He has come to be regarded as a contemporary artist of global stature, and his strong social conscience has galvanised a generation of artists. Guggenheim museums exhibition art and china after 1989. Ai weiwei is one of the best known artists working today. Beijing photographs 19932003 is an autobiography in pictures. Selected from articles, interviews, and conversations, ai weiwei s words speak to the profound urgency of the global refugee crisis, the resilience and vulnerability of the human condition, and the role of art in providing a voice for the voiceless. The chinese artist ai weiwei has now stepped in to defend the show. Feb 02, 2018 the refugee crisis is not about refugees, rather, it is about us. A time and place where the more outrageously antiauthoritarian and oppositional the statement, the better.
Dec 21, 2016 here is an indepth look at ai weiweis laundromat project on display in new york. Ai weiweis work is an audacious blend of old and new, western and eastern, serious and irreverent. While ais art was lauded internationally, its frequently provocative dimension as well as his political outspokenness triggered forms of repression from chinese authorities. Bronze, about the exhibit, ai weiwei circle of animals. The short quotes presented in this elegant little black book have been carefully selected from articles, tweets, and interviews given by this acclaimed chinese artist and activist. Art21 produces the peabody awardwinning pbsbroadcast series. Ai weiwei on the global refugee crisis, the chinese. Ai weiweis epic refugee boat installation is his largest. Ai wei wei as wonderful dissident, terrible artist the new. Ai came of age as an art student in 1990s new york. Upon his release, he was prohibited from traveling abroad, engaging in public speech, and was subjected to continued government surveillance.
Ai weiweis laundromat addresses the refugee crisis. Ai weiwei defends the guggenheims china show against animal. Aug 01, 2008 this is the first comprehensive monograph on ai weiwei b. Ai often works with ancient materials beams from destroyed temples, han dynasty urns to create ingenious sculptures that break new artistic ground while commenting on the rapid transformation of contemporary china. For ai, this struggle is a war of words, says editor larry warsh in his introduction to weiweiisms, and his own wordsspoken, written, or tweetedare like a bullet out of the gun, ai weiwei repeatedly points out, and centuries of history attest, human rights and freedom of expression are not set by anyones agenda. We work with the worlds most influential artists, chefs, writers and thinkers to produce innovative books on art, photography, design, architecture, fashion, food and travel, and illustrated books for children. At the controversial center of ai weiweis great wall of art.
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