Chinese artist ai weiwei has created a cuddlier version of this message of defiance for a new book of design. Use only fouo recently worked with ai weiwei to design a book based on. This was the work of naihan li, a 30yearold designer who trained in architecture at the bartlett in london from 20002004 before returning home. Ai weiweis monumental work straight is the heaviest sculpture ever shown at the royal academy. One of 2012 sundance film festivals official selections, this documentary piece by alison klayman. His recent exhibitions include sunflower seeds at the tate modern, london, a vast assemblage of handcrafted porcelain sunflower seeds. This new book seeks to redefine diy for the flatpack generation. Ai weiwei phaidon contemporary artist series karen smith, hans ulrich. 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. Now including photography, performance art, and video installations, this volume features over 100 new works, for a total of 600. The case for ai weiwei the art assignment pbs digital.
The philosophy of ai weiwei from andy warhol and back again. Ai grew up in the far northwest of china, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his fathers exile. Sometimes, as jonathan jones recently observed, ai weiweis prominence as a chinese dissident seems to overshadow his major talents as an artist. Ai weiweis laundromat addresses the refugee crisis hypebeast. Ai weiweis first exhibition in turkey is inspired by. The single dumbass, premiered last month along with its music video, is included in the album. However, as it is a collation of interviews done over the course of several years, much content is repeated from interview to interview. Chinese artist ai weiwei has created a cuddlier version of. On 5 november 2016, mary boone gallery will open at both its fifth avenue and chelsea locations ai weiwei 2016. Dec 10, 2018 ai weiwei designs footprint flag as a symbol for human rights. Ai weiwei was born on august 28, 1957, in beijing, china, to chinese poet ai qing. Like, for example, ai weiweis expansive new york city public. Do it yourself designobjekte zum selbermachen posts facebook.
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. This exciting book is the first to consider the work of these artists alongside one another. Ai weiweis contribution is, like much of the artists work, deceptively unassuming a fabric puppet named caonima. The artist contributed stepbystep instructions to the guide do it yourself. New edition is a vastly expanded version of phaidon s groundbreaking the art book, enriched to reflect recent developments in the art world.
Sep 14, 2015 make an ai weiwei artwork by ra staff published 14 september 2015. Chairman mao was the first in the world to use twitter, says ai. Artist, designer, architect, author, publisher and curator. Let ai weiwei teach you how to make antiauthoritarian. Ai weiwei responds to chinese authorities destroying his.
A relentless activist with passion for architecture. 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. 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. Grcic, hella jongerius, or ai weiwei, but you can create functional pieces of their own design thanks to this stepbystep guidebook.
But as chinese artist ai weiweis new book weiweiisms. I hated beijing in the 1990s, it was very tense, she says. 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. Find an indepth biography, exhibitions, original artworks for sale, the latest news, and sold auction prices. His father was very wellknown in china, and had been imprisoned by the nationalist government before ais birth on suspicion of being a leftist.
Ai weiwei, chinese artist and activist whose work included sculptural installations, architectural projects, photographs, and videos. 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. 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. In his sculptures he refashions artefacts and antiques into surprising, sometimes monumental constructions such as template 2007.
The chinese artist and political dissident ai weiwei has designed a sock puppet. 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. Directions detailing how to replicate objects including an. This book is so interesting that once you starting reading, it is hard to put it down. 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. Ai weiwei art monographs and museum exhibition catalogs. Ai weiweis refugee project moves to qatar the new york. Eighteen years ago, phaidon published the art book.
Ai weiwei contemporary artists phaidon by karen smith, hans ulrich obrist, bernard fibicher, ai weiwei paperback. They were subsequently exiled to shihezi, xinjiang in 1961, where they lived for 16 years. The philosophy of ai weiwei from andy warhol and back. Chinese artist and activist ai weiwei has designed a light blue flag with a white footprint, to raise awareness about the importance. As an activist, he has been openly critical of the chinese governments stance on democracy and human rights. 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. Let ai weiwei teach you how to make antiauthoritarian sock. He has come to be regarded as a contemporary artist of global stature, and his strong social conscience has galvanised a generation of artists. 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. 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. 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. Inspirational ai weiweis life and influence presented in never sorry. How to maintain your inner zen when working on highprofile.
Dec 21, 2016 here is an indepth look at ai weiweis laundromat project on display in new york. While ais art was lauded internationally, its frequently provocative dimension as well as his political outspokenness triggered forms of repression from chinese authorities. 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. Weiwei isms by ai, weiwei and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The work is made from straightened steel reinforcing bars, salvaged from the ruins of the 2008 sichuan earthquake. Not all of the commentary about him is positive, and im sure thats as he would like it. This idea of making something that ai weiwei thought through is quite amazing, says emilia terragni, a publisher at phaidon. Authors ai weiwei ai weiwei is one of todays most important and controversial artists. Caonima at first glance, these sock puppets seem like nothing more than kids toys. This book offers readers affordable access to worldclass design as well as hours of fun and will inspire young designers for years to come.
Excerpted from phaidons the 21st century art book these works by toptier. The exhibition andy warholai weiwei is a provocative. The man is an artist, a radical, and a human rights activist. 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 march it emerged that ai weiwei plans to release a rock album with his friend, the singer and guitarist zuoxiao zuzhou.
In 1958, the family was sent to a labour camp in beidahuang, heilongjiang, when ai was one year old. See more ideas about ai weiwei, wei wei and contemporary art. Ai weiwei s work is an audacious blend of old and new, western and eastern, serious and irreverent. The exhibition andy warhol ai weiwei is a provocative. This slim, pocketsized volume compiles quotes made by ai in interviews, in newspaper articles, on his blog, and via twitter. 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. Ai weiwei had also a brother ai xuan, a chinese painter. Ai weiwei designs footprint flag as a symbol for human rights. Jun, 2012 inspirational ai weiweis life and influence presented in never sorry. I didnt expect a publication that has been touted as one of the best art books of 2012. He has collaborated with ai weiwei on several projects, including the public art installation circle of animals zodiac heads 2010. Ai weiweis work is an audacious blend of old and new, western and eastern, serious and irreverent. See available sculpture, prints and multiples, and photographs for sale and learn about the artist.
Ai weiwei phaidon contemporary artist series karen smith, hans ulrich obrist, bernard fibicher, ai weiwei, craig garrett, michele robecchi on. Roots and branches, an exhibition of recent works by eminent international artist and human rights activist ai weiwei. Ai weiwei with his new book weiweiisms, edited by larry warsh. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Ai weiwei in china fotografie portraits book art wei wei work visa gangnam style iconic photos creative people. In this excerpt, ai weiwei shows us how to make some supercute stuffed animals with a decidedly antiauthoritarian streak. But as chinese artist ai weiweis new book weiweiisms proves, small can be powerful. 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. As an activist, he calls attention to human rights violations on an epic scale.
The quotes are presented and organized by artist and longtime collaborator larry warsh, who also writes the. Phaidon is headquartered in london and new york city. Text by tim marlow, john tancock, daniel rosbottom, adrian locke. Working in sculpture, photography, film, installation, design, music, and architecture, ai engages political and cultural. Warsh is a former member of the contemporary arts council of the asia society and the contemporary arts committee of the china institute. But, according to information that came from ai weiweis family, the beijing fake cultural development ltd. 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 cultural figure of international renown, ai weiwei is an activist, architect, curator, filmmaker, and chinas most famous artist. The documentary goes onto chronologically reconstruct the events that occurred from the time he. 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. The book includes works in sculpture, photography, video, and sitespecific. New book now make this with diy projects for kids by designers and architects. 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. Taschens new book, meticulously edited and lavishly produced. Ai weiwei is one of the best known artists working today.
Everything is politics, says internationally renowned artist ai weiwei. Inspirational ai weiweis life and influence presented in. Ai weiwei is one of the most wellknown, influential, and prolific artists active in china today. During the time he was unable to leave the country, weiwei began one of his bestknown performances. 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. Sep 14, 2015 the do it yourself book redefines diy for the ikea generation, according to the publishers. 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.
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. This is the first comprehensive monograph on ai weiwei b. Make an ai weiwei sock puppet art and design the guardian. Weiwei the activistoutspoken, overt, and confrontational is largely absent from ai weiwei, the survey of recent sculptural work on view at haines gallery. 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. Ai weiwei hon ra is a truly twentyfirstcentury creative, influential across a variety of media. After the peoples republic of china was founded, ai qing was accused again, this time of being a rightist, during chairman maos anti. Ai weiwei is the most famous chinese artist living today. Yet do it yourself also captures a design movement taking place outside the show room. Directions detailing how to replicate objects including an ai weiwei sockpuppet and a patricia. A leading figure among chinese artists of his generation, ai weiwei creates art. Ai weiwei is the son of writer gao ying and poet ai qing. A continuation of his ongoing engagement with the global refugee crisis. 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.
One of the most fascinating items in the exhibition is a small book called weiwei. The designers invited visitors to roam the place which was enveloped in. 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. In do it yourself published by phaidon, 50 designers and artists have devised projects that readers can make at home. Make an ai weiwei artwork blog royal academy of arts. Ai weiwei has 58 books on goodreads with 2921 ratings. The chinese artist and political dissident ai weiwei has designed a. Jan 01, 2011 ai weiwei speaks is an interesting look into ai weiwei s life, influences and projects. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Andy warhol ai weiwei max delany, gao minglu, larry warsh, eric c.