New edition is a vastly expanded version of phaidon s groundbreaking the art book, enriched to reflect recent developments in the art world. The first comprehensive monograph on the life and work of activist and dissident chinese artist ai weiwei, this luxurious, silkwrapped tome takes the cake for summers most sumptuous gift book. In an exclusive extract from a new book of diy projects by artists and designers, we share one by ai weiwei, as this provocative artist takes over. On 5 november 2016, mary boone gallery will open at both its fifth avenue and chelsea locations ai weiwei 2016. Ai weiwei phaidon contemporary artist series karen smith, hans ulrich obrist, bernard fibicher, ai weiwei, craig garrett, michele robecchi on. Ai weiwei has 58 books on goodreads with 2921 ratings. I didnt expect a publication that has been touted as one of the best art books of 2012.
Grcic, hella jongerius, or ai weiwei, but you can create functional pieces of their own design thanks to this stepbystep guidebook. The quotes are presented and organized by artist and longtime collaborator larry warsh, who also writes the. The case for ai weiwei the art assignment pbs digital. Artist, designer, architect, author, publisher and curator. The work is made from straightened steel reinforcing bars, salvaged from the ruins of the 2008 sichuan earthquake. Ai weiwei responds to chinese authorities destroying his beijing studio the chinese dissident artist tells npr his studio is in the process of being demolished. Chairman mao was the first in the world to use twitter, says ai. See available sculpture, prints and multiples, and photographs for sale and learn about the artist. Inspirational ai weiweis life and influence presented in never sorry. While ais art was lauded internationally, its frequently provocative dimension as well as his political outspokenness triggered forms of repression from chinese authorities. However, as it is a collation of interviews done over the course of several years, much content is repeated from interview to interview.
See more ideas about ai weiwei, wei wei and contemporary art. The exhibition andy warhol ai weiwei is a provocative. Ai weiweis contribution is, like much of the artists work, deceptively unassuming a fabric puppet named caonima. Ai often works with ancient materials beams from destroyed temples, han dynasty urns to create ingenious sculptures that break new artistic ground while commenting on the rapid transformation of contemporary china. Ai weiwei designs footprint flag as a symbol for human rights. About phaidon phaidon is the premier global publisher of the creative arts with. Chinese artist ai weiwei has created a cuddlier version of this message of defiance for a new book of design. In do it yourself published by phaidon, 50 designers and artists have devised projects that readers can make at home. For more on one of secret 7s big names, consider our ai weiwei book, and for further advice, order our new volume, collecting art for love, money and more. Let ai weiwei teach you how to make antiauthoritarian. Jan 01, 2011 ai weiwei speaks is an interesting look into ai weiwei s life, influences and projects.
The single dumbass, premiered last month along with its music video, is included in the album. In march it emerged that ai weiwei plans to release a rock album with his friend, the singer and guitarist zuoxiao zuzhou. Ai weiwei was born on august 28, 1957, in beijing, china, to chinese poet ai qing. Ai weiwei is super active in the world of contemporary art, posting to his instagram, posing as a drowned syrian refugee, decorating berlins konzerthaus with 14,000 life jackets. Ai weiwei has been called an iconoclast, a radical, a voice for the voiceless, and was once named the most powerful artist in the world. Ai weiwei hon ra is a truly twentyfirstcentury creative, influential across a variety of media. Ai weiwei museum exhibition catalogues, monographs, artists projects, curatorial writings and essays it is the worlds artists, particularly those courageous enough to stand up against authoritarianism, for whom we need to be concerned, and for whose safety we must fight. Phaidon s new book do it yourself brings together fun and easy projects from some of the most exciting artists and designers working today. A leading figure among chinese artists of his generation, ai weiwei creates art. Ai weiweis first exhibition in turkey is inspired by. His statement informs this comprehensive book that features sculptural installations, photographs, and videos from every aspect of the artists fortyyear career and touches on many contemporary social issues. He has come to be regarded as a contemporary artist of global stature, and his strong social conscience has galvanised a generation of artists. Everything is politics, says internationally renowned artist ai weiwei. Ai weiwei is one of the most wellknown, influential, and prolific artists active in china today.
Ai weiwei responds to chinese authorities destroying his. May 05, 2010 based on such reports, one might be forgiven for expecting a different form, or at least emphasis, to have taken shape in reality. Sometimes, as jonathan jones recently observed, ai weiweis prominence as a chinese dissident seems to overshadow his major talents as an artist. The philosophy of ai weiwei from andy warhol and back. Ai weiwei art monographs and museum exhibition catalogs. Ai weiweis refugee project moves to qatar the new york. The philosophy of ai weiwei from andy warhol and back again. Ai weiweis laundromat is an installation consisting of 2,046 items of clothing abandoned by refugees who were forcibly evacuated from lesbos, a greek island. Use only fouo recently worked with ai weiwei to design a book based on. The artist contributed stepbystep instructions to the guide do it yourself. This new book seeks to redefine diy for the flatpack generation. In his sculptures he refashions artefacts and antiques into surprising, sometimes monumental constructions such as template 2007. Oct 14, 2017 humanity is subjective a conversation with ai weiwei about perpetual migration, the tragedy of exile, and the power of plain cinematic language.
Eighteen years ago, phaidon published the art book. The book includes works in sculpture, photography, video, and sitespecific. Directions detailing how to replicate objects including an. Artists hand 2017 is a rhodiumplated sculpture of ai weiweis hand, and is part of his study of perspective series in which the artist photographed his hand flipping off significant landmarks and world monuments in a rejection of authority and political oppression and. Inspirational ai weiweis life and influence presented in. Make an ai weiwei artwork blog royal academy of arts. Ai weiwei phaidon contemporary artist series karen smith, hans ulrich. The book is a fine addition to our design list, which includes authoritative overviews such as phaidon design classics, as well as definitive monographs on ettore sottsass, dieter rams and james irvine. Yet do it yourself also captures a design movement taking place outside the show room. Ai weiwei contemporary artists phaidon by karen smith, hans ulrich obrist, bernard fibicher, ai weiwei paperback.
Find an indepth biography, exhibitions, original artworks for sale, the latest news, and sold auction prices. This slim, pocketsized volume compiles quotes made by ai in interviews, in newspaper articles, on his blog, and via twitter. This is just a sign of another failure for the chinese government in a twoday digital conference, the artist shares his thoughts on the communist partys handling of the. The man is an artist, a radical, and a human rights activist.
Dec 21, 2016 here is an indepth look at ai weiweis laundromat project on display in new york. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. This was the work of naihan li, a 30yearold designer who trained in architecture at the bartlett in london from 20002004 before returning home. Caonima at first glance, these sock puppets seem like nothing more than kids toys. Not all of the commentary about him is positive, and im sure thats as he would like it. Do it yourself designobjekte zum selbermachen posts facebook. I didnt expect a publication that has been touted as one of the best art books of 2012 to stand just six inches tall and contain only two photographs. After the peoples republic of china was founded, ai qing was accused again, this time of being a rightist, during chairman maos anti.
The do it yourself book redefines diy for the ikea generation, according to the publishers. In an exclusive extract from a new book of diy projects by artists and designers, we share one by ai weiwei, as this provocative artist takes over our main galleries. He was commissioned as one of the designers of the birds nest stadium for the 2008 olympics and seemed able to get away with his role as an artistic. Ai weiwei s work is an audacious blend of old and new, western and eastern, serious and irreverent. Weiwei isms by ai, weiwei and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. In his book humanity, the chinese artist ai weiwei, takes us on a meditation of sorts, from understanding through to action, via a series of quotations he has given in various magazines, podcasts, etc. Inspired by the silk road, between turkey and china, the latest exhibition by controversial artist ai weiwei, entitled ai weiwei on porcelain, will focus on his wideranging practice in this medium showcasing an extensive selection of artworks from the artists oeuvre alongside new works, it will present a narrative informed by his life story and his approach to both the traditions of. But as chinese artist ai weiweis new book weiweiisms proves, small can be powerful. Ai grew up in the far northwest of china, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his fathers exile.
His father was very wellknown in china, and had been imprisoned by the nationalist government before ais birth on suspicion of being a leftist. He has translated the readymade into a new artistic language, fusing neolithic pottery, fourteenthcentury doors and seventeenthcentury temple beams into surprising, at times shocking sculptures. Jun, 2012 inspirational ai weiweis life and influence presented in never sorry. Ai weiwei with his new book weiweiisms, edited by larry warsh. A cultural figure of international renown, ai weiwei is an activist, architect, curator, filmmaker, and chinas most famous artist. Let ai weiwei teach you how to make antiauthoritarian sock. But later i met ai weiwei through my father he was a well known musician in the 1980s and came back to work with him. Artist, designer, architect, author, publisher, and curator. This exciting book is the first to consider the work of these artists alongside one another.
This book is so interesting that once you starting reading, it is hard to put it down. Ai weiwei in china fotografie portraits book art wei wei work visa gangnam style iconic photos creative people. He has collaborated with ai weiwei on several projects, including the public art installation circle of animals zodiac heads 2010. As an activist, he calls attention to human rights violations on an epic scale.
Excerpted from phaidons the 21st century art book these works by toptier. Working in sculpture, photography, film, installation, design, music, and architecture, ai engages political and cultural. Beijing, june 22, 20 the ai weiwei studio released ai weiweis first music album, the divine comedy, today to commemorate the second anniversary of his release from an 81day secret detention. The documentary goes onto chronologically reconstruct the events that occurred from the time he. This is the first comprehensive monograph on ai weiwei b.
Authors ai weiwei ai weiwei is one of todays most important and controversial artists. Warsh is a former member of the contemporary arts council of the asia society and the contemporary arts committee of the china institute. New book now make this with diy projects for kids by designers and architects. Like, for example, ai weiweis expansive new york city public. In this excerpt, ai weiwei shows us how to make some supercute stuffed animals with a decidedly antiauthoritarian streak.
Chinese artist and activist ai weiwei has designed a light blue flag with a white footprint, to raise awareness about the importance. What picasso was to the 20th century, ai weiwei is to the 21st, and if our century is to be the chinese century, then its fitting that the greatest artist of the age is chinese. Now including photography, performance art, and video installations, this volume features over 100 new works, for a total of 600. Make an ai weiwei sock puppet art and design the guardian. Ai weiwei is the son of writer gao ying and poet ai qing.
His recent exhibitions include sunflower seeds at the tate modern, london, a vast assemblage of handcrafted porcelain sunflower seeds. Ai weiwei is the most famous chinese artist living today. Dec 10, 2018 ai weiwei designs footprint flag as a symbol for human rights. Ai weiweis work is an audacious blend of old and new, western and eastern, serious and irreverent. But, according to information that came from ai weiweis family, the beijing fake cultural development ltd.
Directions detailing how to replicate objects including an ai weiwei sockpuppet and a patricia. During the time he was unable to leave the country, weiwei began one of his bestknown performances. This book offers readers affordable access to worldclass design as well as hours of fun and will inspire young designers for years to come. I hated beijing in the 1990s, it was very tense, she says. Taschens new book, meticulously edited and lavishly produced. Ai weiwei had also a brother ai xuan, a chinese painter. But as chinese artist ai weiweis new book weiweiisms. The designers invited visitors to roam the place which was enveloped in.
The exhibition andy warholai weiwei is a provocative. As a result of his fathers denouncement from the antirightist movement, ais family was sent to a labor camp in beidahuang and was eventually exiled to shihezi, xinjiang. Text by tim marlow, john tancock, daniel rosbottom, adrian locke. Sep 14, 2015 make an ai weiwei artwork by ra staff published 14 september 2015. Phaidon is headquartered in london and new york city. One of the most fascinating items in the exhibition is a small book called weiwei. Ai weiweis laundromat addresses the refugee crisis hypebeast. A continuation of his ongoing engagement with the global refugee crisis. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The book features designers and artists from all over the globe and from a variety of disciplines, including konstantin grcic, rafael horzon, hella jongerius, sarah sze, and ai weiwei. Open in his criticism of the chinese government, ai was famously detained for months in 2011, then released to house arrest.
In 1958, the family was sent to a labour camp in beidahuang, heilongjiang, when ai was one year old. Ai weiwei is one of the best known artists working today. Chinese artist ai weiwei has created a cuddlier version of. They were subsequently exiled to shihezi, xinjiang in 1961, where they lived for 16 years. A rtist ai weiwei was born in beijing in 1957, the year his father ai qing, a revolutionary poet, was exiled by the communist party. How to maintain your inner zen when working on highprofile.
Sep 14, 2015 the do it yourself book redefines diy for the ikea generation, according to the publishers. One of 2012 sundance film festivals official selections, this documentary piece by alison klayman. Ai weiwei, chinese artist and activist whose work included sculptural installations, architectural projects, photographs, and videos. Roots and branches, an exhibition of recent works by eminent international artist and human rights activist ai weiwei. This idea of making something that ai weiwei thought through is quite amazing, says emilia terragni, a publisher at phaidon. Weiwei the activistoutspoken, overt, and confrontational is largely absent from ai weiwei, the survey of recent sculptural work on view at haines gallery. Andy warhol ai weiwei max delany, gao minglu, larry warsh, eric c. The chinese artist and political dissident ai weiwei has designed a. Ai weiweis monumental work straight is the heaviest sculpture ever shown at the royal academy. A relentless activist with passion for architecture. As an activist, he has been openly critical of the chinese governments stance on democracy and human rights.