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When did Ai Weiwei start art?
Early life and work As a youth, Weiwei had become interested in art, and in 1978 he enrolled at the Beijing Film Academy, though he found more creative and intellectual stimulation as part of a collective of avant-garde artists called Xingxing (“Stars”).
Where is Ai Weiwei's studio?
BeijingWorks created at my Zuoyou studio in Beijing.
How does Ai Weiwei make his art?
The socio-political and economic climate of contemporary China most often serves as starting point for Ai Weiwei's art, and he uses local materials and resources like reclaimed wood from traditional Chinese houses and temples; Chinese antiquities like Neolithic vases and Qing Dynasty furniture; porcelain from the ...
Was Ai Weiwei Born in Beijing?
Ai Weiwei was born in 1957 in Beijing. Shortly afterward, his father, the poet Ai Qing, was sent to a labor camp as an enemy of the revolution; the family lived in exile, mostly in the remote Xinjiang region, until 1976.
What did the Chinese government do to Ai Weiwei?
For that, they were harassed, detained, and beaten by the police. The impact of the beating on Ai was so severe that he had to undergo emergency brain surgery. In late 2010, Shanghai authorities informed Ai that his newly built art studio was slated to be demolished.
How do you pronounce Ai Weiwei?
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.
What is the meaning of Wei Wei?
wéi wéi. of high and stable appearance.
What medium does Ai Weiwei use?
Installation artPhotograp...Ceramic artAi Weiwei/Forms
Does Ai Weiwei have a wife?
Lu QingAi Weiwei / WifeLu Qing is a Chinese modern and contemporary artist. Wikipedia
Is Ai Weiwei an iconoclast?
'Ai Weiwei has become famous for iconoclastic actions such as dropping a Han-dynasty urn or dipping Neolithic vases into synthetic paint.
Who designed the birds nest?
Herzog and de MeuronChina Architecture Design...ArupSportNational Stadium/Architecture firms
What was Ai Weiwei arrested for?
In 2011, Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport on 3 April, for "economic crimes".
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.
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 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.
How much did Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd demand?
In June 2011, the Beijing Local Taxation Bureau demanded a total of over 12 million yuan (US$1.85 million) from Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. in unpaid taxes and fines, and accorded three days to appeal the demand in writing. According to Ai's wife, Beijing Fa Ke Cultural Development Ltd. has hired two Beijing lawyers as defense attorneys. Ai's family state that Ai is "neither the chief executive nor the legal representative of the design company, which is registered in his wife's name."
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 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?
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, ...
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 did Ai say about China?
He then returned to China, an environment far less open to such views. In Ai's words, "China and the U.S. are two societies with very different attitudes towards opinion and criticism." He saw the difference, and refused to conform. He is an artist who actually put his life on the line to defend freedom of expression.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Why did Ai move back to Beijing?
After successfully exhibiting his art in New York, Ai moved back to Beijing due to his father’s deteriorating health. On returning, he started learning about Chinese culture and mixed it with his own advanced version of artwork.
Where is the Caaw studio?
In 1999, he designed and established his own studio in Caochangdi.
When did Ai start blogging?
Ai started as a prolific blogger for China’s internet platform ‘Sina Weibo’ in 2005. His critical views about the Chinese government resulted in the shutdown of the blog in 2009.
Accomplishments
The 1990s in New York was a time of rebellion and anti-authoritarianism in art, and the more a statement was aimed at evoking a strong response, the better its reception within art circles.
Important Artworks
Ai Weiwei’s artworks were politically significant and acted as statements of creative freedom. Due to living in a very restrictive country, art became a platform for young Chinese artists to raise awareness of the ever-increasing multiple restrictions that they were all subjected to. Here are a few of his most important artworks.
Recommended Reading
Throughout Western and Eastern history, certain artists have taken it upon themselves to question and defy the status quo of the authoritarian states that they were born into. The Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was one of these individuals.
What is Ai Weiwei's art?
Ai utilizes art to voice political dissidence and poses questions to the authority. The result of integrating his social activism elevates his art practice to a more universal forum and forces viewers to consider the problems of the real world beyond his work.
When was Study of Perspective filmed?
Study of Perspective is a series of images, shot from 1995 to 2003, showing the artist flipping the middle finger against different places across the globe—many of which are iconic landmarks of their respective countries. The gesture, captured utilizing a snapshot aesthetic, confronts its viewer with a universal and concise statement of political opposition.
Why did Twitpic take pictures of himself?
His photography, in particular, has taken form not only within the confines of a museum, but also on his Twitpic accoun t, where he captured images of himself in the hospital while recovering from brain surgery to correct a cerebral hemorrhage in September 2009. The hemorrhage believed to be the result of a brutal police beating in August of the same year. The images act to document the extent in which the Chinese government will take to eliminate dissidents.
Who is Ai Weiwei?from britannica.com
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.
Where is Ai Weiwei Studio?from en.wikipedia.org
Early in 2008, the district government of Jiading, Shanghai invited Ai Weiwei to build a studio in Malu Township, as a part of the local government's efforts in developing its cultural assets. By August 2010, the Ai Weiwei Shanghai Studio completed all of its construction work. In October 2010, the Shanghai government declared the Ai Weiwei Shanghai Studio an illegal construction, and it was subjected to demolition. On 7 November 2010, when Ai Weiwei was placed under house arrest by public security in Beijing, over 1,000 netizens attended the "River Crab Feast" at the Shanghai Studio. On 11 January 2011, the Shanghai city government forcibly demolished the Ai Weiwei Studio within a day, without any prior notice.
What was Ai Weiwei arrested for?from en.wikipedia.org
In 2011, Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport on 3 April, for "economic crimes".
What happened to Qian Yunhui?from en.wikipedia.org
Qian Yunhui, unafraid of speaking up for his villagers, travelled to Beijing several times to report this injustice to the central government. In order to silence him, he was detained by local government repeatedly. On 25 December 2010, Qian Yunhui was hit by a truck and died on the scene. News of the incident and photos of the scene quickly spread over the internet. The local government claimed that Qian Yunhui was the victim of an ordinary traffic accident. This film is an investigation conducted by Ai Weiwei studio into the circumstances of the incident and its connection to the land dispute case, mainly based on interviews of family members, villagers and officials. It is an attempt by Ai Weiwei to establish the facts and find out what really happened on 25 December 2010. During shooting and production, Ai Weiwei studio experienced significant obstruction and resistance from local government. The film crew was followed, sometimes physically stopped from shooting certain scenes and there were even attempts to buy off footage. All villagers interviewed for the purposes of this documentary have been interrogated or illegally detained by local government to some extent.
What refugee camps did Ruya Foundation help?from en.wikipedia.org
In December 2014 Ruya Foundation for Contemporary Culture in Iraq provided drawing materials to three refugee camps in Iraq: Camp Shariya, Camp Baharka and Mar Elia Camp. Ruya Foundation collected over 500 submissions. A number of these images were then selected by Ai Weiwei for a major publication, Traces of Survival: Drawings by Refugees in Iraq selected by Ai Weiwei, that was published to coincide with the Iraq Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale.
What is the movie "Wuhan" about?from en.wikipedia.org
A feature-length documentary directed by Weiwei about happenings in Wuhan, China during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Why is Ai Weiwei's marble sculpture important?from en.wikipedia.org
(2010) Ai WeiWei's marble sculpture resembles a surveillance camera to express the alarming rate of how technological advancements are being used in the modern world . WeiWei created this sculpture in response to the Chinese Government surveilling and incorporating listening devices in and around his studio, located in Beijing. The Chinese government did this as punishment for WeiWei's outspoken criticism of the Chinese Government.
What landmarks did Ai visit?
Other landmarks featured in Ai’s series include the White House in Capitol Hill, Washington D.C., the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and The Reichstag in Berlin.
What is Ai's work?
His work has captured global attention and served to bring attention to social injustices, human rights violations and systemic violence. Ai never shies away from saying what he truly feels and he encourages people to state exactly what they want.
Why is it important to study perspective?
Study of Perspective will help you double think about your allegiances and re-adjust your feelings regarding many important institutions in our society.
Where was the first Tiananmen Square photo shot?
The first in this series was shot in Tiananmen Square 2 in 1995, where during the 1989 democracy movement protests, hundreds to thousands of unarmed protesters were killed. In Study of Perspective – Tiananmen Square, the photo first appears to be a classic tourist photo in which Ai sticks his middle finger up at Tiananmen Square Gate. This offensive gesture reveals Ai’s disdain for the Communist China rulers and what they stood for. Other landmarks featured in Ai’s series include the White House in Capitol Hill, Washington D.C., the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and The Reichstag in Berlin. The gesture is the focal point of the photo, as the objects that are closer to the eye appear larger. Thus his statement is the key point in the photo.
What landmarks did Ai visit?from publicdelivery.org
Other landmarks featured in Ai’s series include the White House in Capitol Hill, Washington D.C., the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and The Reichstag in Berlin.
What is Ai's work?from publicdelivery.org
His work has captured global attention and served to bring attention to social injustices, human rights violations and systemic violence. Ai never shies away from saying what he truly feels and he encourages people to state exactly what they want.
Why is it important to study perspective?from publicdelivery.org
Study of Perspective will help you double think about your allegiances and re-adjust your feelings regarding many important institutions in our society.
Where was the first Tiananmen Square photo shot?from publicdelivery.org
The first in this series was shot in Tiananmen Square 2 in 1995, where during the 1989 democracy movement protests, hundreds to thousands of unarmed protesters were killed. In Study of Perspective – Tiananmen Square, the photo first appears to be a classic tourist photo in which Ai sticks his middle finger up at Tiananmen Square Gate. This offensive gesture reveals Ai’s disdain for the Communist China rulers and what they stood for. Other landmarks featured in Ai’s series include the White House in Capitol Hill, Washington D.C., the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and The Reichstag in Berlin. The gesture is the focal point of the photo, as the objects that are closer to the eye appear larger. Thus his statement is the key point in the photo.
Overview
Life
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 1…
Personal life
Ai is married to artist Lu Qing. He has a son, Ai Lao, born 2009 with Wang Fen. Ai is fond of cats.
Political activity and controversies
In 2005, Ai was invited to start blogging by Sina Weibo, the biggest internet platform in China. He posted his first blog on 19 November. For four years, he "turned out a steady stream of scathing social commentary, criticism of government policy, thoughts on art and architecture, and autobiographical writings." The blog was shut down by Sina on 28 May 2009. Ai then turned to T…
Artistic works
Weiwei is often referred to as China's most famous artist. He has created works that focus on human rights abuses using video, photography, wallpaper, and porcelain.
Beijing video works
From 2003 to 2005, Ai Weiwei recorded the results of Beijing's developing urba…
Awards and honors
2008
• Chinese Contemporary Art Awards, Lifetime Achievement
2009
• GQ Men of the Year 2009, Moral Courage (Germany); the ArtReview Power 100, rank 43; International Architecture Awards, Anthenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design, Chicago, US
See also
• WeiweiCam
Further reading
• Medium, Artists on the Cutting Edge, by Addison Fach, 1 December 2017
• WideWalls magazine, Excessivism – A Phenomenon Every Art Collector Should Know, by Angie Kordic
• Gallereo magazine, The Newest Art Movement You've Never Heard of, 20 November 2015