what did ai weiwei do

Ai Weiwei

emerged as a vital instigator in Chinese cultural development, an architect of Chinese modernism, and one of the nation's most vocal political commentators. Ai Weiwei encapsulates political conviction and his personal poetry in his many sculptures, photographs, and public works.

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What did Ai Weiwei fight for?

Ai Weiwei, the famed Chinese artist and activist, is a creative thorn in the side of Chinese authorities. His activism gained prominence when he broke through the government cover up to commemorate the thousands of children who died during the Sichuan earthquake of 2008 due to shoddy school construction.

What kind of work does Ai Weiwei do?

Ai Weiwei, Wade-Giles romanization Ai Wei-wei, (born May 18?, 1957, Beijing, China), Chinese artist and activist who produced a multifaceted array of creative work, including sculptural installations, architectural projects, photographs, and videos.

How has Ai Weiwei changed the world?

Ai transformed his activism into art with "So Sorry," consisting of 9,000 children's backpacks in vibrant colors. Arrayed on the facade of Munich's Haus der Kunst in 2009, they spelled out "She lived happily in this world for seven years," an epitaph for her lost child uttered by a Sichuan mother.

What type of art did Ai Weiwei make?

ExcessivismAi Weiwei / PeriodExcessivism is an art movement. In 2015 American artist and curator Kaloust Guedel introduced it to the world with an exhibition titled Excessivist Initiative. Wikipedia

How old is Ai Wei Wei?

64 years (August 28, 1957)Ai Weiwei / Age

What techniques did Ai Weiwei use?

There is though nothing "Chinoise" about his works; rather his international formal approach often makes use of metaphoric references, humour, puns, and political irony, that redefines and reconsiders the meaning of the traditional into something new - from traditional antique into seductive and thought provoking ...

What is Ai Weiwei protesting?

The Free Ai Weiwei street art campaign was a series of protests during the PRC government's secret detention of Chinese artist Ai Weiwei for 81 days in 2011, organised by Hong Kong artists and art supporters.

How did Ai Wei Wei become famous?

In 2011, Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport on 3 April, for "economic crimes". He was detained for 81 days without charge. Ai Weiwei emerged as a vital instigator in Chinese cultural development, an architect of Chinese modernism, and one of the nation's most vocal political commentators.

How do you pronounce Ai Wei Wei?

0:251:01How to Pronounce "Ai Weiwei" - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAi weiwei ai weiwei ai weiwei ai weiwei ai weiwei ai weiwei ai weiwei ai weiwei weiwei.MoreAi weiwei ai weiwei ai weiwei ai weiwei ai weiwei ai weiwei ai weiwei ai weiwei weiwei.

Who designed the birds nest?

Herzog and de MeuronChina Architecture Design...ArupSportNational Stadium/Architecture firms

What do Ai Weiwei's sunflower seeds represent?

Communist propaganda optimistically depicted leader Mao Zedong as the sun and the citizens of the People's Republic of China as sunflowers, turning toward their chairman. Ai Weiwei reasserts the sunflower seed as a symbol of camaraderie during difficult times.

What are the key ideas explored in Ai Weiwei's colored vases?

Ai Weiwei's work addresses some of the most critical global issues of the early twenty-first century, including the relationship between tradition and modernity, the role of the individual and the state, questions of human rights, and the value of freedom of expression.

What was Ai Weiwei arrested for?

In 2011, Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport on 3 April, for "economic crimes".

Why was Ai beaten?

Ai suffered headaches and claimed he had difficulty concentrating on his work since returning from Chengdu in August 2009, 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.

What is the Chinese name for a Chinese artist?

In this Chinese name, the family name is Ai. Ai Weiwei ( Chinese: 艾未未; pinyin: Ài Wèiwèi, English pronunciation: ( help · info); born 28 August 1957) is a Chinese contemporary artist and activist. Ai grew up in the far north-west of China, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his father's exile. As an activist, he has been openly critical ...

Why was Ai under house arrest?

He said this was to prevent the planned party marking the demolition of his brand new Shanghai studio.

Why was Ai arrested?

In 2011, Ai was arrested on charges of tax evasion, jailed for 81 days, and then released. The government had kept his passport confiscated and refused him any other travel papers. Following the return of his passport in 2015, Ai moved to Berlin where he maintained a large studio in a former brewery.

Where did Ai go to school?

In 1978, Ai enrolled in the Beijing Film Academy and studied animation. In 1978, he was one of the founders of the early avant garde art group the " Stars ", together with Ma Desheng, Wang Keping, Mao Lizi, Huang Rui, Li Shuang, Ah Cheng and Qu Leilei.

Where did Ai Qing live?

Ai's father was the Chinese poet Ai Qing, who was denounced during the Anti-Rightist Movement. In 1958, the family was sent to a labour camp in Beidahuang, Heilongjiang, when Ai was one year old. They were subsequently exiled to Shihezi, Xinjiang in 1961, where they lived for 16 years. Upon Mao Zedong 's death and the end of the Cultural Revolution, the family returned to Beijing in 1976.

Who is Ai Weiwei's father?

Biography of Ai Weiwei. Ai said his father, the poet Ai Qing, was his single greatest influence. When the artist was a year old, the family was sent to a labor camp, then to a rural village where Ai Qing was forced to clean communal toilets.

What is Ai's work?

Ai was a professional blackjack player for a brief period early in life. His work is about risk (personal, professional, and political). It is also about testing the limits of freedom. His work is designed to remind us that risk-taking is an essential form of exercise in a free society.

What is creativity power?

Artworks. "Creativity is the power to reject the past, to change the status quo, and to seek new potential. Simply put, aside from using one's imagination - perhaps more importantly - creativity is the power to act.". 1 of 10.

Who is the most famous Chinese artist?

Ai Weiwei is the most famous Chinese artist living today. As an activist, he calls attention to human rights violations on an epic scale; as an artist, he expands the definition of art to include new forms of social engagement. In a country where free speech is not recognized as a right, the police have beaten him up, kept him under house arrest, bulldozed his newly-built studio and subjected him to surveillance. He is viewed as a threat to "harmonious society." The West did not invent revolutionaries. China has an illustrious history of dissidents, anti-authoritarian originals and eccentrics, from the drunken monks of pre-history to counter-culture artists living in today's Beijing. Ai himself is from this long line of free-thinkers and writers, marginalized both by the right and left. From smashing an ancient vase to reciting the names of children who died due to government negligence, Ai's dramatic actions highlight the widening gap between the ideal and the real in Chinese society. He is also one of the earliest conceptual artists to use social media - Instagram and Twitter, in particular - as one of his primary media.

Who is Ai in the West?

In his refusal to pleasure the eye, he is the opposite of Jeff Koons, his equally famous contemporary.

Did the West invent revolutionaries?

The West did not invent revolutionaries. China has an illustrious history of dissidents, anti-authoritarian originals and eccentrics, from the drunken monks of pre-history to counter-culture artists living in today's Beijing.

What has Ai Weiwei done?

Ai Weiwei has worked in everything from paint to readymades. As our landmark exhibition examines work from 1993 up to the present day, we take a look at some of the key works to know from across Ai’s career.

Why did Ai Weiwei boycott the Olympics?

He boycotted the Olympics, highlighting the discrepancy between China’s patriotic rhetoric and yet its terrible human rights record. “It was merely a stage for a political party to advertise its glory to the world,” he told Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun.

How long was Ai detained?

While the seeds were on display in London, Ai was arrested and detained without explanation by the Chinese authorities for 81 days. During this period, the RA elected Ai an Honorary Royal Academician, in solidarity. Installation of 100 million painted porcelain seeds in the Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern, London.

Where are Ai Weiwei sunflower seeds made?

In 2011, Ai Weiwei’s sunflower seeds – 100 million of them – were poured into the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern. Each one was unique: hand-crafted from porcelain in Jingdezhen – the Chinese town that once produced imperial porcelain for over a thousand years.

Who is Ye Haiyan?

Ai Weiwei, Ye Haiyan’s Belongings, 2013. Ye Haiyan is an activist for women’s rights in China. In response to her activism, the Chinese government evicted her from her home, leaving her, her daughter and their luggage on the side of a motorway.

Who is Ai Weiwei?

Ai Weiwei is a multitalented artist from China. He is an architect, sculptor, photographer, designer, and activist. Probably the most famous contemporary artist of China, Ai is an active supporter of human rights and is extremely vocal about the matter. Being openly critical about Chinese government's strategies on human rights, ...

Where was Ai Weiwei born?

Ai Weiwei was born on August 28, 1957, in Beijing, China, to Chinese poet Ai Qing. As a result of his father’s denouncement from the ‘Anti-Rightist Movement,’ Ai’s family was sent to a labor camp in Beidahuang and was eventually exiled to Shihezi, Xinjiang.

How long did Ai go to jail?

Donations poured in from all over the world, and close to 9 million RMB were collected within 10 days. The court rejected Ai’s appeal. He spent a good amount of days in jail, until he was finally released. However, his property was confiscated by the Chinese government. In 2015, he was allowed to leave China.

What awards did Ai receive?

Ai has received countless honors and awards, such as the 2008 ‘Chinese Contemporary Art Award’ (Lifetime Achievement), the 2009 ‘GQ Men of the Year’ award (Moral Courage), the ‘Appraisers Association Award’ for ‘Excellence in the Arts’ in 2013, and ‘Amnesty International's ‘Ambassador of Conscience Award’ in 2015.

When did Ai open his studio?

Due to his increased interest in architecture, Ai opened the studio named ‘FAKE Design’ in 2003. He also conducted and curated various art exhibitions, including one titled ‘Fuck Off’ with Feng Boyi. In 2007, he brought 1,001 Chinese citizens to Kassel, Germany, as part of his ‘Fairytale Project’ at ‘Documenta 12.’.

What did Ai Weiwei do?

Ai Weiwei: To control the information, to the limit the truth. It's most efficient tactics for totalitarian society-- for the rulers. He gathered the names of more than 5,000 dead children and published a list on the Internet, shaming his government. And across China people took notice.

What did Ai Weiwei say about the Chinese authorities?

Inspire people to do and live the way that he did. The Chinese authorities responded brutally. Ai Weiwei says police beat him up and he later had to be hospitalized. Doctors discovered bleeding in his brain which he says could have killed him.

What did Weiwei do when he was under surveillance?

When they put his studio under surveillance, Weiwei decorated the cameras with lanterns, then fashioned replicas out of marble for his exhibitions. When officers were ordered to follow his every move, he got his own camera man to film them filming him, ridiculing the state in a way no one else in China had ever dared.

How many artisans did Ai Weiwei hire?

He cast giant-animal heads in bronze and sent them on tour around the world. He hired 1,600 artisans to handcraft porcelain sunflower seeds then carpeted the floor of a giant atrium in London with 100 million of them. It captivated the public and helped turn Ai Weiwei into an art-scene superstar.

Where did Weiwei move to?

Weiwei got out of China at the first opportunity, moving to New York in the early 1980s. He was intoxicated by the city, chronicling everything in pictures, drawing inspiration from American masters like Andy Warhol and stringing together a living doing odd jobs and street art. Ai Weiwei: Yeah.

Where did Ai Weiwei set up his studio?

You taste the most important thing in life. And you will never forget it. Yeah. After a decade in the U.S., he moved back to China and set up a studio in Beijing; breaking new ground and challenging old sensibilities with mischievous, provocative art. Ai Weiwei destroys a 2,000-year-old Chinese urn.

Who is the artist who painted Mao Zedong?

But that's never bothered Ai Weiwei. This is the work he's perhaps most famous for…what you're seeing in the background is a portrait of China's revered former dictator Mao Zedong...part of a series in which Weiwei gives the finger to other symbols of power around the world. Ai Weiwei: --just like this.

Installation Art by Ai Weiwei

In 2007, as Ai Weiwei was beginning to gain an international reputation, he was invited to take part in documenta 12 , a contemporary art exhibition held in Germany every five years. The theme was ‘Fairytale.’ For his contribution, Ai Weiwei imported 1001 Ming and Qing dynasty chairs from China, some of which were 500 years old.

Art of Political Dissent by Ai Weiwei

In the same year that he exhibited both ‘Sunflower Seeds’ and ‘River Crabs’, Ai Weiwei also made one of his most important documentaries.

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By Mia Forbes BA in Classics Mia is a contributing writer from London, with a passion for literature and history. She holds a BA in Classics from the University of Cambridge. Both at work and at home, Mia is surrounded by books, and enjoys writing about great works of fiction and poetry. Her first translation is due to be published next year.

How long was Ai Weiwei in jail?

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei believed he was "close to death" during the more than 80 days he was held in a secret police detention centre, a source close to the artist told the BBC.

How many miles did Ai Weiwei walk?

Ai Weiwei was never allowed outside, the source said. He exercised by spending five hours a day pacing back and forth across his cell, walking an estimated 9-12 miles (15-20km) a day.

Why was Mr. Ai released?

The state news agency, Xinhua, said in June that Mr Ai was released "because of his good attitude in confessing" to tax evasion and because he had agreed to pay back the money he owed. But Mr Ai is contesting the tax claim, and the source said he was not guilty so never admitted any wrongdoing while he was being held.

Was Ai Weiwei arrested?

Ai Weiwei was never formally arrested. His captors even told him there was no "legal basis" for holding him, but claimed they could do what they liked to him. "That way they completely break you," our source said.

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