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I am someone with strong viewpoints. I might have a biased perspective, but I always have one and plenty of opinions that come with it. Once I get started, it’s unstoppable (An Interview with Ai Weiwei, Part One: The Year 2008, 2023).

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Who is Ai Wei Wei?

Ai Wei Wei is a Chinese contemporary artist, activist, and outspoken critic of the Chinese government.

Born in 1957 in Beijing, his father, the poet Ai Qing, was exiled during the Cultural Revolution, which influenced Ai Wei Wei’s views on freedom and authority.

Ai Wei Wei lives in exile due to political persecution, and his art reflects his struggle with censorship and human rights.

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Ai Wei Wei’s Art and Political Resistance

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Ai Wei Wei’s Art and Political Resistance

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Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn" (1995): Ai Wei Wei is photographed dropping an ancient Chinese vase, symbolizing the destruction of cultural heritage for political purposes.

Ai uses his art to challenge authority, confront the Chinese government, and spark global conversations about censorship, human rights, and freedom.

His works incorporate symbols, installations, and social media as methods of subversion.

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Artling Exclusive: Ai Weiwei’s Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn

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What is more important is that these 100 million sunflowers were each meticulously painted by hand by 1,600 women. These women, dedicating two weeks of their lives to this project, rendered it almost a religious activity of a kind of daily expression. The sunflower seeds are the embodiment of their (nr, 2023).

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This installation, consisting of millions of hand-painted porcelain sunflower seeds, comments on mass production, individuality, and the power of the Chinese state.

Ai has said that the seeds represent both the individual and the masses, with each seed being unique but part of a larger whole.

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I wrote dozens of articles about the earthquake. The first article, as I recall, talked about the state’s rhetoric on how so many people were grateful for the government’s effective rescue efforts. I wrote that the government was supposed to carry out rescue efforts, and there was nothing whatsoever to do with gratitude. I wrote a lot of articles like that (An Interview with Ai Weiwei, Part One: The Year 2008, 2023).

Ai Wei Wei created this installation in response to the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, where thousands of children died due to poorly constructed schools.

It features 9,000 children's backpacks arranged in the shape of a memorial, symbolizing the children who perished and the government’s failure to address the tragedy.

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During his incarceration, artist Ai Weiwei’s assistants, E-Shyh Wong and Inserk Yang come to New York in his place for the unveiling of Ai’s public artwork near Central Park Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads (2010). Wong and Yang provide insight into his working processes and their belief that neither they nor we should remain silent about his detention (Ai Weiwei In, 2019).

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The Political and Personal Impact of His Art

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The Political and Personal Impact of His Art

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Ai Wei Wei was arrested in 2011 by the Chinese government on charges of tax evasion, widely seen as a response to his outspoken criticism of the regime.

He was detained for 81 days, and his studio in Beijing was demolished.

Despite this, Ai’s voice remains powerful in global conversations about human rights and freedom of expression.

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During his incarceration, artist Ai Weiwei's assistants, E-Shyh Wong and Inserk Yang come to New York in his place for the unveiling of Ai's public artwork near Central Park Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads (2010). Wong and Yang provide insight into his working processes and their belief that neither they nor we should remain silent about his detention.

During his September 2011 interview with Art21, Ai comments on his marble sculpture of a surveillance camera, an object increasingly present in modern life in all societies, which, he says is used to "secretly monitor people's behavior." "But once it's marble" he continues, "it's only being watched. It's not functioning anymore."

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An outspoken human rights activist, Ai Weiwei infuses his sculptures, photographs, and public artworks with political conviction and personal poetry, often making use of recognizable and historic Chinese art forms in critical examinations of a host of contemporary Chinese political and social issues. In his sculptural works he often uses reclaimed materials-ancient pottery and wood from destroyed temples-in a conceptual gesture that connects tradition with contemporary social concerns. He also employs sarcasm, juxtaposition, and repetition to reinvigorate the potency and symbolism of traditional images and to reframe the familiar with minimal means.

"Every day people are coming up to us and giving us proposals of something they can do to help Weiwei. And you know at first we thought, okay maybe we should stay quiet a bit, because we don't want to upset the Chinese government. But then we think, what would Weiwei do? And he would probably make the most noise of anybody."

E-Shyh Wong, Assistant to Ai Weiwei

Art21 is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization; all donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

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Art21 is a celebrated global leader in presenting thought-provoking and sophisticated content about contemporary art, and the go-to place to learn first-hand from the artists of our time. A nonprofit organization, Art21's mission is to inspire a more creative world through the works and words of contemporary artists.

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The Bird’s Nest Stadium. A photo of the Olympic Stadium in Beijing, which Ai helped design. While seemingly an emblem of national pride, Ai critiqued the stadium for its symbolic connection to a government that suppresses freedom.

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Provoking Thought, Raising Awareness, and Starting Controversy

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Provoking Thought, Raising Awareness, and Starting Controversy

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The year we completed the National Stadium was also when I decided to abandon architecture. I came to realize that the application of architecture wasn’t based solely on individual desires but could be manipulated as a tool for national propaganda. I felt a sense of regret for our work. Despite creating an ambitious and unparalleled piece of public architecture for Beijing, its usage contrasted starkly with our original aspirations. It became a symbol of power projection and a mechanism to sideline individual existence. That’s why I chose to step away from this highly politicized practice (nr, 2023).

Ai’s art forces the audience to question the relationship between individuals and the state, as well as the nature of power and control.

He uses art as a form of resistance, often invoking controversy to raise awareness about significant political issues.

Ai Wei Wei's works are layered with social and political meanings, often involving satire, symbolism, and activism. His art is both personal and universal, appealing to individuals across different cultures.

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Ai Weiwei creates lotus-like installation from refugee life jackets (Weiwei, 2016). Entitled F Lotus, the installation features 201 rings – each with five life jackets worn by Syrian refugees – arranged into the shape of the letter F. Ai created the installation as part of his continued campaign to raise awareness of the Syrian refugee crisis.(Ai Weiwei Creates F Lotus Installation from Refugee Life Jackets, 2016).

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Ai Wei Wei has redefined what it means to be an artist in the 21st century, blending politics, social commentary, and activism in his work.

His bold and unflinching critiques of the political systems in China and around the world have influenced many artists and activists globally.

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Ai Weiwei creates lotus-like installation from refugee life jackets

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Ai Weiwei creates F Lotus installation from refugee life jackets. (2016, July 20). Dezeen. https://www.dezeen.com/2016/07/20/f-lotus-ai-weiwei-installation-belvedere-museum-vienna-syrian-refugees-life-jackets/

Ai Weiwei in. (2019). Art21. https://art21.org/watch/art-in-the-twenty-first-century/s6/ai-weiwei-in-change-segment/

An Interview With Ai Weiwei, Part One: The Year 2008. (2023, June 30). China Change. https://chinachange.org/2023/06/29/an-interview-with-ai-weiwei-part-one-the-year-2008/

nr. (2023, October 20). Ai Weiwei - NR. NR. https://nr.world/ai-weiwei/

Whitman, S. (2012, June 22). Take Five: Ai Weiwei is Still Free, Sort of | The Art Minute. The-Art-Minute.com. https://www.the-art-minute.com/take-five-ai-weiwei-is-still-free-sort-of/

Weiwei, A. (2016, July 20). Ai Weiwei creates lotus-like installation from refugee life jackets. YouTube. https://youtu.be/71CycyZSB_M?si=QkLLvhk7-a1KSbJ6