"The Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei continues to be at the heart of major political and world events. Born in Beijing in 1957, he is among the most famous artists in the world, principally due to the activism that led him to be incarcerated in his native China for months without charge in 2011. His most famous works include the photographic series Study of Perspective (1995-2017), showing middle-finger salutes to famous landmarks, and a vast sunflower seed installation at London's Tate Modern in 2010."
"The work is "a site-specific response to the escalating armed conflicts threatening the world of today", according to a statement from Ribbon International, the non-profit cultural platform that commissioned the installation. In August, Ai travelled to the front line of the war in eastern Ukraine near Kharkiv, where he met Ukrainian fighters and cultural figures. We spoke to Ai ahead of his Ukrainian intervention at his studio in rural Portugal."
"Obviously I've been forced out of my rooted land [China], but I don't feel sad about it because if you are on this road, you are not on that [other] road. I always accept my situation because my father [the poet Ai Qing] was exiled for 20 years and he's a perfect example of how a man can accept a situation."
Ai Weiwei is a Chinese artist and activist born in Beijing in 1957, internationally known for activism that led to his 2011 incarceration without charge. Notable works include the Study of Perspective photographic series and the Tate Modern sunflower seed installation. He unveiled Three Perfectly Proportioned Spheres and Camouflage Uniforms Painted White in Kyiv, comprising three spheres covered in camouflaged fabric dotted with animal images that form a connective structure. Ribbon International described the work as a site-specific response to escalating armed conflicts. Ai traveled to the front line near Kharkiv and met Ukrainian fighters and cultural figures while dividing his time in exile across Portugal, Berlin, Cambridge, and other locations.
Read at The Art Newspaper - International art news and events
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]