Ai Weiwei

Ai Weiwei’s New Blog It is just over a year since the­ ­Sichuan earthquake in southwestern China. The government has made it clear over and over since then that the crumpled schools and dead and injured students have nothing to do with shoddy construction. State agencies and the media, representing the authority and wisdom of the country, are trying to convince people that the earthquake was so strong that it was inevitable the schools would collapse and pupils die. Once again, the facts have been erased. The Sichuan disaster is not the first, nor the most wrongful. I call on people to be “obsessed ­citizens”, forever questioning and ­asking for accountability.

« Oublions », quand un artiste chinois tente de ne pas oublier Tiananmen Ai Weiwei sur la place Tiananmen, juin 09 (DR) De tous temps, les artistes chinois ont su contourner les censures. Ai Weiwei , l’un des artistes chinois les plus connus, vient d’en donner un magnifique exemple, montrant comment parler de choses interdites tout en ayant l’air de dire le contraire... Malgré les blocages de plusieurs plateformes et de réseaux sociaux à l’approche du 20ème anniversaire de la répression de la place Tiananmen, Ai Weiwei a posté le texte suivant sur son blog [relayé en traduction anglaise par le blog Chinageeks ], intitulé « oublions » [son blog, fanfou.com, était inaccessible depuis la France mercredi, donnant un message d’erreur « Oublions le 4 juin, oublions ce jour ordinaire.

Review: Ai Weiwei @ Haines Gallery « Art Beat Bay Area Ai Weiwei's "Snake Bag" The Ai Weiwei show at Haines Gallery is important for many reasons, not all of which have to do with the specific work on view. Hailing from Beijing, Weiwei is at the forefront of the increasingly vibrant conversation the international art world is having about contemporary Asian art, especially that coming out of China. An activist and forceful critic of the Chinese government (he was beaten by the Chinese police last year and suffered life-threatening head injuries because of it), Weiwei’s art gives outsiders intimate insight into Chinese culture and current issues through the universal language of objects and concepts. His work also resonates within Western art history. Obvious influences and references can be made to Marcel Duchamp, Félix González-Torres, and Andy Warhol, and even contemporaries, such as Jeff Koons. Weiwei is a conceptual artist; the greater message of his pieces is not immediately evident. This exhibition is on view until May 28, 2010.

Artist Ai Weiwei makes rare U.S. appearance to talk about digital activism Outspoken, brusque and sometimes rude, Ai Weiwei doesn't sugarcoat his opinions. The visual artist, who has carved out a second career as a digital activist, is a prominent online voice against censorship and other forms of oppression in China. On Monday, he made a rare public appearance in the U.S. to talk about his campaigns on Twitter (@aiww), his blogging activity and his other forms of civil disobedience. Ai spoke Monday evening at the Paley Center for Media in New York as part of a panel discussion that also included Jack Dorsey, the founder of Twitter, and Richard MacManus, the founder of ReadWriteWeb. The conversation was moderated by journalist and author Emily Parker. Speaking in English, Ai broadly described the current state of online censorship in China -- sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are mostly inaccessible by the public. When asked if he fears not being allowed to reenter the country, the artist replied: "Nothing can silence me as long as I’m alive.

Ai Weiwei: Can an artist change society? In a video smuggled to a recent TED conference (which he was forbidden to attend) Chinese artist Ai Weiwei insisted, "Art is about social change." Apparently, the potential for change spearheaded by China's most celebrated global art star troubles China's leaders. On April 3 authorities seized Mr. Ai, who disappeared into a news blackout illuminated only by vague allegations of "economic crimes." Skip to next paragraph Subscribe Today to the Monitor Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS ofThe Christian Science MonitorWeekly Digital Edition Although a show of his art has been "indefinitely postponed" in the People's Republic of China, a public art piece by Ai, "Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads," is on view at 59th Street and Fifth Avenue from May 4 to July 15. Ai, Ms. Considered iconic pieces of the nation's cultural heritage, their repatriation is a cause célèbre in China. Ai has been spurring people to look at cyberspace with unblinkered eyes ever since he began blogging in 2005.

Charter 08 One of the authors of Charter '08, Liu Xiaobo, was awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize. Demands[edit] Many of the original signatories were prominent citizens inside and outside the government, including lawyers; a Tibetan poet and essayist, Woeser; and Bao Tong, a former senior Communist Party official, who all faced a risk of arrest and jail.[6] The Charter calls for 19 changes including an independent legal system, freedom of association and the elimination of one-party rule. Specific demands are: The opening paragraph of the charter states: Response[edit] China[edit] Protest in Hong Kong against the arrest of Liu Xiaobo Outside of China[edit] A number of governments, including those of the United States[16] and Germany,[17] as well as the opposition in Taiwan,[18] have condemned the harassment of supporters of Charter 08 as well as hailing the Charter. See also[edit] References[edit] External links[edit]

Who's Afraid of Ai WeiWei? Graffiti Campaign Challenges Chinese Artist's Arrest It’s now the second month since renowned artist Ai WeiWei was detained by Chinese authorities at the Beijing Airport, where he was to board a plane to Hong Kong. In the absence of any satisfactory information about the charges under which he is being held or his condition, his artwork is being unveiled in the West on schedule and Hong Kong artists have started a graffiti campaign asking “Who’s Afraid of Ai WeiWei?” As the New York Times reports, an exhibition of new work opened at the Neugerriemschneider Gallery in Berlin last weekend (with a giant banner asking “Where is Ai WeiWei” at the front of the building). On Wednesday in New York, “Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads,” opened at the Pulitzer Fountain in front of the Plaza Hotel. The latter work is said to be Ai’s first public sculpture. “Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads” might seem “whimsical,” says the New York Times. In Hong Kong, artists and activists have challenged Ai’s arrest through artwork of a different sort.

Ai Wei Wei « Demusitecture Recently came across this artist after a read of the interview Hans Ulrich Obrist in conversation with Ai Wei Wei in the book Ai Wei Wei published by Phaidon, 2009. Ai Wei Wei is a contemporary Chinese artist who has successfully established an artistic career both in America and China. He is also the one who provided Herzog and De Meuron with the inspiration for the bird nest Beijing Olympic stadium. What caught my eye after flicking through the book (it was on the new books display stand) was the image of this violin. Violin. 1985. shovel handle, violin. 63 x 23 x 7 cm. Reminds me of Duchamp’s ready-made, whom Ai Wei Wei was influenced by. There were several other works which I like including: The wave. 2005. Wonder how he sculpted the waves for them to fold over so perfectly.. Map of China. 2004. I like how a lot of his works have cultural significance, like this one. He’s also built some buildings, though never trained as an architect. (note: all pictures scanned from the book)

Ai Weiwei: Daring Chinese Artist The Chinese artist Ai Weiwei is a very brave man. Long before April 3, when he was taken into police custody by the Chinese authorities in Beijing as he attempted to board a flight for Hong Kong, he knew that his vigorous support for human rights in China put him on a collision course with the government. He was badly beaten by the police in 2009, his blog was shut down that same year, and in 2010 his new studio in Shanghai was bulldozed by authorities. True, Ai may have imagined that his immense prestige in the international art world—he is regarded as the Chinese answer to Joseph Beuys, a post-Duchampian shaman with an Asian spin—would have provided him some protection. And for a time it did. Ai is a fire and ice personality. Ai Weiwei’s Blog: Writings, Interviews, and Digital Rants, 2006-2009 is the work of a large, restless, impassioned imagination. Jed Perl is The New Republic’s art critic.

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego acquires work by Ai Weiwei, plans 24-hour protest | Culture Monster | Los Angeles Times The work of Ai Weiwei has become a hot commodity ever since the artist was imprisoned by Chinese officials in early April. While China's government hasn't given an official reason for Ai's detainment, many believe that the artist is being held as retaliation against his activism in the realms of human rights and free speech. On Friday, the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego announced that it has purchased two pieces from Ai's series titled "Marble Chair." The museum said that the artist carved the yoke-back chairs out of single blocks of marble. Empty chairs are a recurring motif in Ai's work, and have taken on added resonance since his disappearance. The museum said it will hold a silent protest in support of Ai on Thursday at its downtown location. In addition to the works by Ai, which are on display in an exhibition titled "Prospect 2011," the museum said it has acquired works by Sam Gilliam and Helen Pashgian. Demonstrators in L.A. show support for Ai Weiwei -- David Ng