DERRICK JOYNER
WEEK 2 - ARTIST OF THE WEEK - AI WEIWEI
One of Chinas most politically outspoken artist is Ai Weiwei. His work is respected and admired throughout the world. Ai Weiwei’s fathers name was Ai Qing, who was a modern Chinese poet. Ai Weiwei was born in 1957 the year a powerful political campaign targeted his father. Ai Qing wrote a poem known as “The Gardener’s Dream”.
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"You must learn to appreciate the beauty of the personality."
-Ai Qing
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This poem told the story of a rose gardener that was discriminating against other flowers. His devotion to the communist party was called into question despite the poems subtle theme. This resulted in Ai Qing’s family being exiled to a remote region of China at the edge of the Gobi Desert. Ai Weiwei and his family would return to Beijing in 1976 after the end of the Cultural Revolution.
Weiwei took part in the design of one of the greatest architecture achievements in the world, the Bird’s Nest. The Bird’s Nest also known as the Beijing National Stadium is where the 2008 Summer Olympics took place, and will be used again for the 2022 Winter Olympics. Ai Weiwei's architecture is on a massive scale. The Bird's Nest is chaotic in nature and could be a symbol of how Weiwei feels about the Chinese government.
Weiwei is one of the most significant Chinese artists today. He is passionate in an almost obsessive manner, and pushes the limits of his art all while being unafraid of questioning the politics in his own country. He is pictured above dropping a Han Dynasty urn (206 BCE–9 CE). Ai broke two of the Han Dynasty urns costing several thousand dollars. The first urn was not captured hitting the floor by the photographer, so another urn had to be used. This was done to provoke controversy and Ai Weiwei succeeded. Antique dealers were appalled calling Ai's artwork an act of desecration.
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"General Mao used to tell us that we can only build a new world if we destroy the old one."
-Ai Weiwei
Ai Weiwei is a master of many art forms including photography, clothing design, precious stones, antique furniture, and architecture. His artwork speaks louder than words. I like how he refuses to let censorship affect his art. Ai Weiwei is a man that is devoted to his art and bold in his politics.
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