Ai weiwei presented in berlin his recently published manifesto without borders, a book about the existence between worlds, the permanent feeling of alienation, the worldwide refugee movement and. Xu bing and ai weiwei developed the concept for the black cover book in late 1993. We use cookies and similar tools to enhance your shopping experience, to provide our services, understand how customers use our services so we can make improvements, and display ads, including interestbased ads. As an activist, he calls attention to human rights violations on an epic scale. The little black book tips its hat to the former chinese leaders laconic prose when weiwei jokes, chairman mao was the first in the world to use twitter.
Dec 05, 2012 ai weiwei s little black book will leave a lasting impression. Inside the tome it will be possible to read more than a hundred interviews that the artist made during the trip, accompanied by 44 black and white photos that he took himself during the shooting of the documentary. Tehching, ai weiwei, and xu bing convened in new york city to dis cuss art, personal. This series of three black and white photographs portray the artist holding a 2,000yearold han dynasty urn that, frame by frame, he drops, it falls, and shatters.
Dec 31, 2020 in the cultural revolution, ai weiwei s father burned the familys books. For those who have been moved by his struggles with the chinese. Artist, designer, architect, author, publisher, and curator. Citizens investigation, reflecting on the somber aftermath of the sichuan earthquake in 2008 and his subsequent activism to clear up why so many victims could be found especially among schoolchildren. While back in beijing he published three books about new artist in the making. May 24, 2010 in the view of the beijingbased critic and curator karen smith, the author of a book on ai weiwei published last year, ai was turning his blog into a public space as vibrant as any church or. Ai weiwei approves of leon black stepping down as momas. Gold, photo gallery, ai weiwei circle of animals zodiac heads. Ai weiwei is a chinese contemporary artist and activist. Weiwei isms published by princeton university press in 2012 is a collection of ai weiwei s thoughts on key aspects of his art, politics, and life. After denouncing government corruption and lack of respect for human rights and freedom of speech in china, he was arrested, beaten, placed in isolation and forbidden to travel. Ai weiwei s fight for the human rights of others has meant that his own have been jeopardized. But as this book explains, the origins and motivation behind the piece are as compelling as the work itself. The black, white, and grey cover books, which were coedited by artist ai weiwei, provided a key platform for articulating the artistic.
A documentary film by internationally acclaimed chinese artist ai weiwei born 1957, fairytale chronicles the making of an installationcumperformance of the same name. New little black book by ai weiwei published artlyst. Selected from articles, interviews, and conversations, ai weiwei s words speak to the profound urgency of the global refugee crisis, the resilience and vulnerability of the human condition, and the role of art in providing a voice for the voiceless. My ideal reading experience was when i was living in exile at a detention camp with my father, ai qing, during the. Together, these quotes span some of the most revealing moments of ai weiwei s eventful careerfrom his risky investigation into. He attended school at parsons school of design and at the art students league of new york. The black scarf takes its motif from a papercut created by ai weiwei as part of his papercut portfolio, published by taschen in 2019. In a direct reference to chairman maos little red book, ai weiweis little black book demonstrates the concise wisdom of this innovative. As an activist, he has been openly critical of the chinese governments stance on democracy and human rights. This is a big burden for a tiny 120page book to carry, and yet it does the job remarkably well. Authors ai weiwei ai weiwei is one of todays most important and controversial artists. While ai s art was lauded internationally, its frequently provocative dimension as well as his political outspokenness triggered forms of repression from chinese authorities.
Ai wei wei as wonderful dissident, terrible artist the new. In 2007, ai weiwei invited 1001 chinese citizens of varying ages and backgrounds to travel to kassel, germany, for one week each, all expenses paid. It is news of the last few days, however, the decision of ai weiwei to transform the documentary into a book. His recent exhibitions include sunflower seeds at the tate modern, london, a vast assemblage of handcrafted porcelain sunflower seeds. Artist ai weiwei speaks powerfully about the global refugee crisis in his book humanity. Nov 28, 2012 weiwei isms is modeled after the little red book, a collection of pithy quotes by mao tsetung. During his childhood, criticism of his fathers poetryhe was labeled as a dissidentmeant that ai and his family were exiled to a. Ai weiwei, wadegiles romanization ai weiwei, born may 18. Online shopping from a great selection at books store.
But if maos book was chinese communist party propaganda, weiwei isms is the opposite. Ai weiwei is the most famous contemporary artist in china, and also one of the worlds most wellknown political activists. Ai weiwei to release book of firsthand stories from refugees. This problem has such a long history, a human history. Ai weiwei has 61 books on goodreads with 3522 ratings. Ai weiwei is one of todays most important and controversial artists. But as chinese artist ai weiweis new book weiweiisms proves, small can be powerful. This series not only dealt with the topic of modern, contemporary art but also reflected the political ideas of ai weiwei. Ai weiwei book features the controversial quotes of china. Black cover book 1994, white cover book 1995, and gray cover book 1997. Ai weiwei is the most famous chinese artist living today. 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.
Speaking in their own words, refugees give voice to their experiences of migrating across borders, living in refugee camps, and struggling to rebuild their lives in unfamiliar and uncertain surroundings. He copublished a series of three books about the new generation of artists with chinese artist ai weiwei. Black, white, and grey cover books the guggenheim museums. Sylvia tsai, artasiapacific this wonderful little book of memorable quotes from the chinese artist ai weiwei culled from his numerous videos and posts on his blog and twitterencourages us to accept the challenges of life and to use our time on this earth to stand up for human rights and a better life for all. Ai weiweis little black book will leave a lasting impression. In the cultural revolution, ai weiweis father burned the familys. How can the destruction of an artifact also be an act of preservation.
Collections search black cover book asia art archive. Ai weiwei book features the controversial quotes of chinas. Weiwei isms comes in a pocketsized form with a simple black cover. During this time, he took more than 10,000 black andwhite photographs of life in the american metropolis. The book is hand bound with thermal blankets like those used for migrants rescued at sea. Human flow, ai weiweis book dedicated to refugees collater. About the artist, ai weiwei circle of animals zodiac heads. He went on to say that after the books were finished, there were a lot of interesting art happening, and the people in his life continually recommended creating an exhibit with a. Ai weiwei has been called the most influential artist of our time. During his childhood, criticism of his fathers poetryhe was labeled as a dissidentmeant that ai and his family were exiled to a remote region of china for 16 years.
His statement informs this comprehensive book that features sculptural installations. May 26, 2020 the 400page book also features black andwhite photographs taken by weiwei while filming human flow. This is the hardback catalogue for the ai weiwei retrospective at the hirshhorn museum, washington, d. Dec 01, 2012 the book is organized into six categories. Creating work that is both dangerously loud and quietly considered, the artistactivist is a true revolutionary of his time. Werke, ausstellungen, biografie des konzeptkunstlers.
Published by tai tei publishing company, hong kong, 22. It is deliberately the antithesis to the single most famous contemporary work to emerge from china. Ai weiwei, chinese artist and activist whose work included sculptural installations, architectural projects, photographs, and videos. The short quotes presented in this elegant little black book have been carefully selected from articles, tweets, and interviews given by this acclaimed chinese artist and activist. Ai weiweis little black book ai weiwei with his new book weiweiisms, edited by larry warsh 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 and many others are ready for a change of pace. Ai weiwei on alcatraz using legos, skype, volunteers, and drawing on personal experience, the renowned chinese artist and activist has created a haunting vision in his exhibit on the rock, which opens to the public beginning saturday. As much a work of photography as a work of performance art, in each still an. Jun 28, 20 ai weiwei, the son himself of a dissident artist, the chinese poet ai qing, grew up in remote northwestern china, excommunicated from the internal affairs of beijing due to his fathers political exile. Once part of an elaborate water garden that was left in ruins after the opium wars, the site on the. Ai weiwei art monographs and museum exhibition catalogs. Every book is hand signed by yang lian and ai weiwei.
While ai s art was lauded internationally, the frequently provocative and subversive dimension of his art, as well as his political outspokenness. 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 essays. In the cultural revolution, ai weiweis father burned the. Ai has been left devastated by his time in germany, where he still has a. Weiweiisms comes in a pocketsized form with a simple black cover. The little black book is a direct snub to the chinese government and represents everything maos little red book does not. The publication aimed to provide an opportunity for chinese modern artists. Everything is politics, says internationally renowned artist ai weiwei. Sylvia tsai, artasiapacific huffington post for those who have been moved by his struggles with the chinese authorities, who admire his art or dance along to his irreverent interpretation of psys gangnam style, taken up by artists and museums across the world on youtube. Ai grew up in the far northwest of china, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his fathers exile. This limited edition of ai weiwei s book was realized by the publishing house damocle edizioni venice in 200 numbered copies.
In an interview by chinchin yap, ai weiwei was asked if the actual exhibit of fuck off had a concept similar to the black, white, and gray cover books he published. Mar 29, 2021 leon black stepping down as momas chairman is the right decision, says ai weiwei by helen holmes 032921 12. His numerous books include hans ulrich obrist interviews, vol. For more information, visit artandchina black cover book, 1994. Dropping a han dynasty urn 1995 by ai weiwei is a highly provocative work of art. Bronze, photo gallery, ai weiwei circle of animals. Discover book depositorys huge selection of ai weiwei books online. Edited by zeng xiaojun, ai weiwei, and xu bing, with zi gong feng boyi. Bronze, photo gallery, ai weiwei circle of animals zodiac. Jan 21, 2020 rohinga children in a scene from ai weiwei s vr artwork omni. Ai weiwei, dropping a han dynasty urn smarthistory.
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