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Ai Weiwei

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Ai Weiwei
艾未未
Ai Weiwei
NationalityChina
Ai Weiwei
Traditional Chinese艾未未
Simplified Chinese艾未未
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinÀi Wèiwèi

Ai Weiwei, (born 1957, Beijing) is a Chinese artist, curator, architectural designer, social commentator, and activist.[1][2]

Ai Weiwei was the artistic consultant on the Beijing National Stadium, which was a joint venture among architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron of Herzog & de Meuron, project architect Stefan Marbach, CADG (chief architect Li Xinggang), and Ai Weiwei.[3]

He was particularly focused at exposing an alleged corruption scandal in the construction of Sichuan schools that collapsed during the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.

Life and work

His father was Chinese poet Ai Qing, who was denounced during the Cultural Revolution and sent to a labor camp in Xinjiang with his wife, Gao Ying.[4] Ai Weiwei also spent five years there.[2] Ai Weiwei is married to artist Lu Qing.[4]

In 1978, Ai enrolled in the Beijing Film Academy and attended school with Chinese directors Chen Kaige and Zhang Yimou.[5] In 1978, he was one of the founders of the early avant garde art group the "Stars", together with Ma Desheng, Wang Keping, Huang Rui, Li Shuang, Zhong Acheng and Qu Leilei. In China the group subsequently disbanded in 1983.[6] Yet Ai Weiwei participated in regular Stars group shows, The Stars: Ten Years, 1989 (Hanart Gallery, Hong-Hong and Taipei), and a retrospective exhibition in Beijing in 2007: Origin Point (Today Art Museum, Beijing).

From 1981 to 1993, he lived in the United States, mostly in New York, doing performance art and creating conceptual art by altering readymade objects.[6] While in New York, he studied at Parsons School of Design.[7] In 1987 he took part in the founding of The Chinese United Overseas Artists Association, along with Li Shuang, Qu Leilei, Zhang Hongtu.

In 1993, Ai returned to China because his father became ill.[8] Back in Beijing, he helped establish the experimental artists' Beijing East Village and published a series of three books about this new generation of artists: Black Cover Book (1994), White Cover Book (1995), and Gray Cover Book (1997).[9]

File:Ai weiwei documenta XII.jpg
Ai Weiwei's contribution to the Documenta 12 in Kassel 2007
"Template" (2007) after collapse

In 1999, Ai Weiwei moved to Caochangdi where he built a compound of houses and opened his studio FAKE Design.[10]

In 2000, he co-curated the art exhibition "Fuck Off" with curator Feng Boyi in Shanghai, China.[11]

In 2006, Ai Weiwei and HHF Architects designed a private residence in the Hudson River Valley in New York state for fund manager Christopher Tsai and fashion designer, Andre Stockamp. According to the New York Times, the house was completed in 2008 and is "extraordinarily refined".[12][13] In 2010, Wallpaper (magazine) nominated the Tsai Residence for its Wallpaper Design Awards category: Best New Private House.[14]

Ai's artwork has been exhibited in Australia, Belgium, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea and the United States.

Ai's work was included in the 48th Venice Biennale 1999, Italy, the First Guangzhou Triennial 2002, China, "Zones of Contact: 2006 Biennale of Sydney", and Documenta 12, where his monumental outdoor sculpture titled "Template" collapsed after a storm.[15] In December 2009, Ai Weiwei opened an exhibition of his work at the Comme des garcons store in Hong Kong.[16]

From March to September 2010, Ai exhibited in "Barely Something", an exhibition curated by Roger M. Buergel, the director of Documenta 12, at the Museum DKM in Duisburg, Germany.[17]

Beijing National Stadium

The Beijing National Stadium at night during the 2008 Summer Olympics

Ai was the artistic consultant for design, collaborating with the Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron, for the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics, also known as the "Bird's Nest."[18] Although ignored by the Chinese media, he has voiced his anti-Olympics views.[2] He later distanced himself from the project, saying, "I've already forgotten about it. I turn down all the demands to have photographs with it," saying it is part of a "pretend smile" of bad taste.[19][20] In August 2007 he also accused those choreographing the Olympic opening ceremony, including Steven Spielberg and Zhang Yimou, of failing to live up to their responsibility as artists. Ai said "It's disgusting. I don't like anyone who shamelessly abuses their profession, who makes no moral judgment."[21] (In February 2008, Spielberg withdrew from his role as advisor to the 2008 Summer Olympics.[22][23]) When asked why he participated in the designing of the Bird's Nest, Ai replied "I did it because I love design."[citation needed]

Sichuan earthquake student casualties investigation

On 15 December 2008, Ai Weiwei supported an investigation into student casualties in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake started by an other chinese artist. The investigation aimed to compile a list of students killed in the earthquake by 12 May 2009, the earthquake's first anniversary.[24] As of 14 April 2009, the list had accumulated 5,385 names.[25] Ai published the collected names as well as numerous articles documenting the investigation on his blog which has been shut down.[26]

Ai Weiwei suffered headaches and claimed he had difficulty concentrating on his work since returning from Chengdu, where he was beaten by the police for trying to testify for Tan Zuoren, a fellow investigator of the shoddy construction and student casualties in the earthquake.

On 14 September 2009, Ai was diagnosed to be suffering internal bleeding in a hospital in Munich, Germany, and the doctor arranged for emergency brain surgery.[27] The Cerebral hemorrhage is believed to be linked to the police attack.[28][29]

According to the Financial Times, in an attempt to force Ai to leave the country, two accounts used by him had been hacked in a sophisticated attack on Google in China dubbed Operation Aurora, their contents read and copied; his bank accounts were investigated by state security agents who claimed he was under investigation for "unspecified suspected crimes".[30]

Sunflower Seeds

'Sunflower Seeds'

In October 2010, Sunflower Seeds was installed at the Tate Modern Turbine Hall, the work consists of one hundred million porcelain "seeds," each individually hand-painted in the town of Jingdezhen by 1,600 Chinese artisans, and scattered over a large area of the exhibition hall.[31] The artist was keen for visitors to walk across and roll in the work to experience and contemplate the essence of his comment on mass consumption, Chinese industry, famine and collective work. However, on 16 October, Tate Modern stopped people from walking on the exhibit due to health liability concerns over the porcelain dust.[32]

Shanghai studio controversy

In November 2010, Ai was placed under house arrest by the Chinese police. He said this was to prevent the planned party to mark the demolition of his newly built Shanghai studio from taking place.[33]

The building was designed and built by Ai upon encouragement and persuasion from a "high official [from Shanghai]" as part of a new cultural area designated by Shanghai Municipal authorities; Ai would have used it as a studio and to teach architecture courses. But now Ai has been accused of erecting the structure without the necessary planning permission and a demolition notice has been ordered, even though, Ai said, officials had been extremely enthusiastic, and the entire application and planning process was "under government supervision". According to Ai, a number of artists were invited to build new studios in this area of Shanghai because officials wanted to create a cultural area.[34]

On November 3, 2010, Ai said the government had informed him two months earlier that the newly-completed studio would be knocked down because it was illegal. Ai complained that this was unfair, as he was "the only one singled out to have my studio destroyed." The Guardian said that Ai had made a number of documentaries on subjects which touched the raw nerves of Shanghai municipal authorities, including Shanghai resident Feng Zhenghu, who lived in forced exile for three months in Narita Airport, Tokyo.[34]

In the end, the party took place without Weiwei's presence; his supporters feasted on river crab, an allusion to "harmony", and a euphemism used to jeer official censorship. Ai was released from house arrest the next day.[35]

Like other activists and intellectuals, Ai was prevented from leaving China in late 2010. Ai suggested that the authorities wanted to prevent him from attending the ceremony in December 2010 to award the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to fellow dissident Liu Xiaobo.[36] Ai said that he had not been invited to the ceremony, and was attempting to travel to Korea for a meeting when he was told that he could not leave for reasons of national security.[37]

Ai's studio was torn down, by order of the Chinese government, on January 11, 2011.[38]

References

  1. ^ "Ai Weiwei". Wolseley Media. 2008. Retrieved 6 July 2008.
  2. ^ a b c Cooper, Rafi (6 July 2008). "Cultural revolutionary". The Observer. London. Retrieved 6 July 2008.
  3. ^ "China's New Faces: Ai Weiwei". BBC News. 3 March 2005. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  4. ^ a b Meacham, Steve (24 April 2008). "Child of the revolution in revolt". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 July 2008.
  5. ^ Blackwell, Adrian (5 December 2006). "Ai Weiwei: Fragments, Voids, Sections and Rings". Archinect. Retrieved 6 July 2008.
  6. ^ a b "Ai Weiwei". Groninger Museum. 28 February 2008. Retrieved 6 July 2008.
  7. ^ Aloi, Daniel (15 November 2006). "Ai Weiwei literally smashes China's traditions in art and architecture". Cornell University. Retrieved 6 July 2008.
  8. ^ Toy, Mary-Anne (19 January 2008). "The artist as an angry man". The Age. Retrieved 6 July 2008.
  9. ^ Napack, Jonathan (2 August 2004). Ai Weiwei: Works Beijing 1993–2003. Timezone 8. p. 148. ISBN 9889726289.
  10. ^ Chen, Aric. "A New Frontier for Chinese Art", New York Times, April 2007. Retrieved 25 May 2009.
  11. ^ Vulliamy, Ed (29 June 2008). "The nest generation". The Observer. London. Retrieved 6 July 2008.
  12. ^ Nicholson, Louise (1 November 2006). "Art to live with". Apollo. Retrieved 6 July 2008. [dead link‍]
  13. ^ The New York Times: “Global Summit”
  14. ^ Wallpaper Magazine, November 2010
  15. ^ Art Forum
  16. ^ Ai Weiwei and Comme des garcons
  17. ^ www.galerieursmeile.com
  18. ^ "Artist behind Beijing's 'bird's nest' stadium boycotts Olympics". CBC News. 11 August 2007. Retrieved 6 July 2008.
  19. ^ "Stadium designer blasts China Olympics". Al Jazeera. 12 August 2007. Retrieved 6 July 2008.
  20. ^ "Chinese architect slams Olympic 'pretend smile'". CNN. 13 August 2007. Retrieved 6 July 2008.
  21. ^ Watts, Jonathan (11 August 2007). "Olympic artist lashes out over PRC propaganda". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 July 2008.
  22. ^ Rachel Abramowitz (2008). "Spielberg drops out as Beijing Olympics advisor". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 13 February 2007. [dead link‍]
  23. ^ "Spielberg in Darfur snub to China". BBC. 13 February 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2008.
  24. ^ Ai Weiwei (13 March 2009). ""5.12汶川地震死亡学生"调查 09.03.12[[Category:Articles containing Chinese-language text]]" (in Chinese). Retrieved 15 April 2009. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  25. ^ Ai Weiwei (14 April 2009). "5.12遇难学生名单 补充 (八十四) 09.04.11[[Category:Articles containing Chinese-language text]]" (in Chinese). Retrieved 15 April 2009. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  26. ^ CBC News (12 July 2009). "China cracks down on outspoken artist[[Category:Articles containing explicitly cited English-language text]]". Retrieved 12 July 2009. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  27. ^ Chinese artist gets emergency brain surgery in Munich – The Local
  28. ^ Operation in Munich: Chinese Artist Accuses Government for Injury – SPIEGEL ONLINE – News – International
  29. ^ Wines, Michael (28 November 2009). "China's Impolitic Artist, Still Waiting to Be Silenced". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  30. ^ Anderlini, Jamil (15 January 2010). "The Chinese dissident's 'unknown visitors'". Financial Times.
  31. ^ Higgins, Charlotte (11 October 2010). "People power comes to the Turbine Hall: Ai Weiwei's Sunflower Seeds", The Guardian, .
  32. ^ "Tate seed art shut due to health concerns", 15 October 2010. BBC News
  33. ^ Ai Weiwei under house arrest, Guardian, 5 November 2010.
  34. ^ a b Branigan, Tania & Gabbatt, Adam (3 November 2010). "Ai Weiwei's Shanghai art studio to be demolished" The Guardian
  35. ^ An update on Chinese dissent artist Ai Weiwei's latest protests
  36. ^ China: 2 Intellectuals Barred From Leaving the Country, New York Times, 3 December 2010
  37. ^ China Nobel row: Artist Ai Weiwei stopped from leaving , BBC News, 3 December 2010
  38. ^ Prominent Chinese Artist’s Studio Torn Down
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