In his sculptures he refashions artefacts and antiques into surprising, sometimes monumental constructions such as template 2007. An outspoken human rights activist, ai was arrested by chinese authorities in april 2011 and held incommunicado for three months. We work with the worlds most influential artists, chefs, writers and thinkers to produce innovative books on art, photography, design, architecture, fashion. Besides, there are so many artists in the world that it would be hard to argue that any one is the most important. Ai grew up in the far northwest of china, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his fathers exile. Ai weiwei, law of the journey, 2017, reinforced pvc with aluminium frame, 60 x 6 x 3 m. How chinese artist ai weiwei became an enemy of the state. The first monograph on the key figure in chinese fastgrowing art scene. About phaidon phaidon is the premier global publisher of the creative arts with over 1,500 titles in print. Now including photography, performance art, and video installations, this volume features over 100 new works, for a total of 600. Made in close collaboration with ai weiwei, the book features paper cut. You had better make some noise words to change the world. The artwork that made me the most dangerous person in china ai weiwei in 2009, the dissident artist created a work to honour the thousands of.
Ai weiwei speaks is an interesting look into ai weiweis life, influences and projects. You had better make some noise brings together the words of social activists, revolutionaries, artists, writers, musicians, philosophers, politicians, and more galvanizing us all to do the same. Accompanying the andy warhol ai weiwei exhibition developed by the ngv and the andy warhol museum, with the participation of ai weiwei, this book explores the significant influence of these two exemplary artists on modern art and contemporary life, focusing on the parallels, intersections and points of difference between the two artists. Learn more about ai weiwei through our contemporary artist series book. To say that ai weiwei is the most important artist in the world right now is too bold of a statement. In 2011, ai weiwei was arrested at beijing capital international airport on 3 april, for economic crimes. Art21 is a celebrated global leader in presenting thoughtprovoking and sophisticated content about contemporary art, and the goto place to learn firsthand from the artists of our time. The second edition of the art book is a substantially expanded and updated version of the hugely successful original. One of chinas most controversial artists, ai weiwei is also one of the worlds most prominent critics of the chinese government. The art and activism of political artist ai weiwei youtube.
Ai has received numerous arts and humanitarian awards and his work in sculpture, video, photography, and installation has been the subject of solo exhibitions. The chinese art book presents a definitive selection of 300 works, from the. Mary boone gallery was founded in new york in 1977. Events contact us phaidon offices contact the sales team. Ai weiwei phaidon contemporary artist series 9780714848891 by karen smith. Survey by karen smith, interview by hans ulrich obrist, focus by bernard fibicher, artists choice by ai qing, writings by ai weiwei. Taschens new book, meticulously edited and lavishly produced. There are diverse ways of becoming famous and one of those is when you create such an impact in your country that, as an artist, you get arrested. Even to people unfamiliar with the art world, ai is a source of. Upon his release, he was prohibited from traveling abroad, engaging in public speech, and was subjected to continued. Ai weiwei phaidon contemporary artist series karen smith, hans ulrich. From the outset, the gallery was committed to showing the work of innovative young artists.
Artists who grew up in the eighties and nineties, after china opened up its doors to an influx of foreign money. Arrested and harassed by the chinese government, artist ai weiwei makes daring works unlike anything the world has ever seen. Is ai weiwei the most important artist in the world right. The national gallery of victoria in melbourne, australia, is currently showing an exhibition of two monumental artists, andy warhol and ai weiwei, whose work and interests often intersected, even though they were working in different eras. The art and activism of political artist ai weiwei. Ai weiwei, anish kapoor, wolfgang tillmans and phaidon. Working in sculpture, photography, film, installation, design, music, and architecture, ai engages political and cultural criticism to investigate instances of government corruption and coverups, confronting chinas stance on democracy and human rights. Ai weiwei was born in 1957, a remarkable figure of chinese conceptual art and excessivism. A cultural figure of international renown, ai weiwei is an activist, architect, curator, filmmaker, and chinas most famous artist. Chinese artist and activist ai weiweis works are often provocative, and his determination to speak.
Familiar figures thomas paine to bertrand russell, augustine to gloria steinem, harvey milk to ai weiwei, james baldwin to margaret mead are. Ai weiwei is one of the most wellknown, influential, and prolific artists active in china today. Today, in addition to artists longassociated with the gallery ross bleckner, francesco clemente, barbara kruger, barry le va, keith sonnier the. In twentiethcentury china, red was the colour of progress and revolution as evidenced in the red guard, chairman maos little red book and. With artists xu bing whose work is on view in this exhibition and zeng xiaojun, ai produced the black cover book 1994, which comprises reproductions of iconic twentiethcentury artworks by marcel duchamp and jeff koons, among others, as well as translations of existing arthistorical and critical texts, as well as artists submissions and. 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.
Hong kong the chinese artist ai weiwei said he was given back his passport on wednesday after being barred from traveling abroad since he was detained in 2011 in beijing. The reason why ai weiwei is the worlds most powerful artist. His recent exhibitions include sunflower seeds at the tate modern, london, a vast assemblage of handcrafted porcelain sunflower seeds. I found it almost impossible, in those conditions, for individuals to develop selfconsciousness or any real awareness of esthetic values. Ai weiwei, binyavanga wainaina, gillian slovo, james lingwood. A nonprofit organization, art21s mission is to inspire a more creative world through the works and words of contemporary artists. The two most famous and rich living artists, jeff koons and damien hirst, are both conceptual artists whose work, like ai weiweis, includes large scale, multimillion dollar spectacles coming out of the tradition of art leading back to duchamp. This volume, signed by the artist, is wrapped in a silk scarf, which reproduces a detail. 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. Installation view of the 21st biennale of sydney 2018 at cockatoo island. As weiwei was still studying in the 1970s and early 1980s, a time. Introducing 100 new artists selected from all periods and from across the globe, the new edition includes for the first time leading figures from the fields of photography and performance art.
Ai weiwei emerged as a vital instigator in chinese cultural development, an architect of chinese modernism, and one of. Art21 produces the peabody awardwinning pbsbroadcast series. Authors ai weiwei ai weiwei is one of todays most important and controversial artists. I dont believe that he has been wellknown for long enough to make the case that he is. Thats the story behind the push chair, a very direct kind of connection. Ai weiwei is one of the worlds most famous artists, consistently topping power lists and grabbing headlines around the globe.
The first gallery was a small ground floor space at the renowned soho address 420 west broadway. Recent work of one of chinas most important and outspoken contemporary artists is featured in this book. The book body of art celebrates the beautiful and provocative ways artists have represented, scrutinized and utilized the body over. Ai weiweis bicycles come to london art agenda phaidon. Open in his criticism of the chinese government, ai was famously detained for months in 2011, then released to house arrest.
The reason why ai weiwei is the worlds most powerful artist phaidon. See available sculpture, prints and multiples, and photographs for sale and learn about the artist. Ai weiwei and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. Ai weiweis provocative art has gotten him harassed by police, thrown in detention and driven out of china. As an activist, he has been openly critical of the chinese governments stance on democracy and human rights. Find an indepth biography, exhibitions, original artworks for sale, the latest news, and sold auction prices. Ai weiwei, refugee vests, and the inarticulateness of. Presentation at the 21st biennale of sydney was made possible with generous support from the sherman foundation. Ai weiwei, chinese artist and provocateur, is given back. New edition is a vastly expanded version of phaidon s groundbreaking the art book, enriched to reflect recent developments in the art world.
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. A global citizen, artist and thinker, ai weiwei moves between modes of production and investigation, subject to the direction and outcome of his research, whether into the chinese earthquake of 2008 for works such as straight, 200812 and remembering, 2009 or the worldwide plight of refugees and forced migrants for law of the journey and his featurelength documentary, human flow. But as chinese artist ai weiweis new book weiweiisms. Weiwei ai artist, fine art prices, auction records for. This book is the first comprehensive monograph on this key figure in chinas burgeoning art scene. Mustreads on ai weiwei and chinese art the new yorker. Mr ai, one of chinas bestknown artists, rose to international. 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. Ai weiwei is one of the best known artists working today. However, as it is a collation of interviews done over the course of several years, much content is repeated from interview to interview.
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