#ai-weiwei

#ai-weiwei

A backpack is forgotten on the train. It seems a simple enough problem to resolve, especially in Germany, oft famed for its orderliness and efficiency. But when you're living as a refugee or in exile, the documents the bag contained are not mere pieces of paper to be reissued. They very well may be irreplaceable a displaced person's only means of existing within a coldly bureaucratic society. To lose them can be devastating, turning borders into walls.

The Strand Book Store in New York City has hosted countless literary icons, but this Friday, September 5, it's welcoming one of the most important cultural figures of our time: Ai Weiwei. The Chinese artist and activist will appear in conversation with writer Orville Schell to celebrate the release of Ai Weiwei Handbook, a new volume published by No More Rulers.

Weiwei's Coloured Vase project challenges the concepts of tradition and value, transforming ancient pottery through modern commercial imagery, thus questioning what society chooses to preserve.

I went to Kharkiv and spent a few days with Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines. I saw how extremely difficult their lives are from my interactions with them, but their resolve is also incredibly strong. I met many Ukrainians, from high-ranking military leaders to drone operators, and understood the depth of their resilience during this challenging time.