艾未未 - Artist, Designer, Political Activist

Beijing Olympic Bird's Nest Stadium by Ai Weiwei

            It is recent news that Chinese artist and designer, Ai Weiwei (艾未未), was put under house arrest in China due to conflict regarding the demolition of his studio in Shanghai.

Without getting into too much detail of what is going on, I was introduced to this man’s work and how he uses his art and his design to create conversation and to represent his voice in China.

Sunflower Seeds

            I think one of his works that Americans will recognize was his design for the Beijing Olympic Bird’s Nest stadium.  However, his work has been gaining attention for quite a while and is most notable for his strong political opinion.  One of his most recent projects was a room in Tate Modern Turbine Hall, which is filled with one hundred million porcelain replicas of sunflower seeds, each painted by Chinese artisans.  Some inferences include the topic of mass production or Mao as the “sun” of China.  In looking up other pieces of his work I find that his project indeed have some message to them.  For me, I might have to dig for what those might be, but I am curious to find them since his works are captivating.  Especially now, since he seems to be trying fervently to hold a conversation with a medium other than words.  For now, I’ll just post some pictures of what has caught my eye – and what I want to investigate.

 

Fake Studio

Forever Bicycles

Han Dynasty Urn with Coca-Cola Logo, 1994