Ai Wei Wei Born: 1957 Lives in Beijing

Forever 2003 READYMADE RECONTEXTUALISE RE APPROPRIATION How does this Artwork fit within the Post Modern Frame READYMADE RECONTEXTUALISE RE APPROPRIATION What is the artists intentions for the audience? How is the artist commenting on society? Ai Weiwei (Chinese, b. 1956) “Forever” Bicycles, 2003. Bicycles, 177.2 x 108.3 inches, 450.1 x 275.1 cm. Edition of 5

Utilitarian object Circular in construction joined in a visual interesting way References Duchamp Iconic object Symbol of Chinese life Forever is the bicycle company who donated all the bicycles Bicycle is a symbol of a peasant revolution Where are the bikes / construction going – it’s going nowhere http://journal.aetherapparel.com/2012/01/09/forever-bicycle-by-ai-weiwei/ Ai Weiwei (Chinese, b. 1956) “Forever” Bicycles, 2003. Bicycles, 177.2 x 108.3 inches, 450.1 x 275.1 cm. Edition of 5

DADA For Dada artists, the aesthetic of their work was considered secondary to the ideas it conveyed. “For us, art is not an end in itself,” wrote Dada poet Hugo Ball, “but it is an opportunity for the true perception and criticism of the times we live in.” They were also experimental, provocatively re-imagining what art and art making could be. Using unorthodox materials and chance-based procedures, they infused their work with spontaneity and irreverence. Wielding scissors and glue, A central figure, Marcel Duchamp, declared common, manufactured goods to be “readymade” artworks, radically challenging the notion of a work of art as something beautiful made by a technically skilled artist. Bicycle Wheel Marcel Duchamp (American, born France. 1887–1968) 1951. Metal wheel mounted on painted wood stool, 51 x 25 x 16 1/2" (129.5 x 63.5 x 41.9 cm)

Sunflower Seeds 2010/11 Ai Wei Wei Sunflower seeds Tate Modern Turbine Hall 2010 -2011 What is this sculpture made of? How and where is it exhibited in the gallery space? What art practices and conventions are challenged? What do you think this artwork could be about?

How does the audience interact with the artwork? What decisions has Wei Wei made about this work, where and how it is exhibited?

Ai Weiwei’s Sunflower Seeds challenges our first impressions: what you see is not what you see, and what you see is not what it means. There are over one hundred million seeds, five times the number of Beijing’s population and nearly a quarter of China’s internet users. The work seems to pose numerous questions. What does it mean to be an individual in today’s society? Are we insignificant or powerless unless we act together? What do our increasing desires, materialism and number mean for society, the environment and the future? 

The seeds were a potent symbol of the Cultural Revolution The seeds were a potent symbol of the Cultural Revolution. The characterization of Mao as the sun, and the faithful as sunflowers turning to face him, was commonplace. For Ai, sunflower seeds – carries personal associations with Mao Zedong’s brutal Cultural Revolution (1966-76). Where individuals were stripped of personal freedom. Yet Ai remembers the sharing of sunflower seeds as a street snack and as a gesture of human compassion, providing a space for pleasure, friendship and kindness during a time of extreme poverty, repression and uncertainty.

Quotes from a conversation with Ai Weiwei on 31 May 2010 and 1 June 2010, Beijing (with Juliet Bingham and Marko Daniel) AWW: In China, when we grew up, we had nothing … But for even the poorest people, the treat or the treasure we’d have would be the sunflower seeds in everybody’s pockets. AWW: It’s a work about mass production and repeatedly accumulating the small effort of individuals to become a massive, useless piece of work. AWW: China is blindly producing for the demands of the market … My work very much relates to this blind production of things. I’m part of it, which is a bit of a nonsense.

Cultural frame The cultural frame focuses on art having a cultural and social meaning, and considers the artist’s social and cultural environment and how this affects their artworks. When discussing artworks within the cultural frame: What does reveal about the culture, society and place? What traditions, styles and art movements may have shaped its production? Does the artwork relate to race, place, religion, gender, time, politics or a particular event? If so, how are these relationships visually expressed? How do the style, media and ideas of the work represent its content? Or how has the style, media and ideas of the artwork been influenced by its context?

Postmodern frame The postmodern frame looks at the artwork being a challenger, or critique, of existing ideas of the time. The artwork can be considered a reappropriation, recontextualisation, parody and/or satire of other works in order to challenge existing ideas.  When discussing the postmodern frame: *Discuss the traditional ideas that have been challenged and how these preconceptions are challenged (i.e. the techniques the artist has employed to critique the status quo, etc. – appropriation, allusion, satire, parody, etc.) What are the artist intentions for the audience? What parts of popular culture have been borrowed to create this work? Is the artist mocking or commenting on art, its audiences and/or society? What are the contextual differences between the borrowed images and the new artworks, and what do these differences aim to achieve?

In your own time watch: Ai Weiwei detained. Here is his TED film https://youtu.be/MVnH8ou3Kd4 Never Sorry available on Clickview

‘Remembering’, Installation of backpacks for the facade of the Haus der Kunst (House of Art, Munich), 2009 Remembering

100 meters long, 10m high (1000sq m installation in Germany) Made of 9,000 backpacks What does it say? ‘She lived happily for seven years in this world’ in Chinese characters. What could this installation be about?

Made to remember those killed in the earthquake of Sichuan in 2008 This is a quote from a mother who’s child died in the Sichuan earthquake in 2008. Ai Weiwei said: “The idea to use backpacks came from my visit to Sichuan after the earthquake in May 2008. During the earthquake many schools collapsed. Thousands of young students lost their lives, and you could see bags and study material everywhere. Then you realize individual life, media, and the lives of the students are serving very different purposes. The lives of the students disappeared within the state propaganda, and very soon everybody will forget everything.” Ai Weiwei has carefully chosen the Haus der Kunst for his retrospective also because of the museum’s history: It was built in 1937 by the fascist Nazi regime. It was opened with the anti-modernist propaganda show ‘Entartete Kunst’ (degenerate art).

After the violent earthquake that devastated the Sichuan province, killing more than 70,000 people, Weiwei used his blog to recruit a group of volunteers to help him delve into the causes underlying the catastrophe. The project resulted in a list — published online — which contained the names of over 5,000 children who'd perished in the collapse of the so-called "tofu buildings." The impact the list had on public opinion triggered the immediate black-out of Weiwei's blog by the Chinese police. But he was able to circumvent censorship, using Twitter to find support for his efforts. The bright, vibrant colors, such as blue, red, yellow and green reflect the psyche of a child, their joy and innocence. In addition, the colors have been used for the Toys R Us logo. Ai Weiwei severely criticises China's political leadership and demands an end to censorship. In August he was briefly arrested because of his political activities Upon the Haus der Kunst’s invitation, Ai Weiwei writes in the exhibition’s blog in English for the first time.

POST Modern Frame Why do you think he chose to exhibit this artwork on the façade of the building? What has he re-contextualised / reinterpreted? What is Ai Wei Wei challenging with this artwork? Cultural Frame What significant events have influenced this artwork? What signs and symbols reveal these meanings What political stance is taken?

Visit the MOCA Los Angeles website http://www.moca.org/pc/viewArtTerm.php?id=30 Read through the information, make relevant bullet point notes. Choose another Political artist eg, Goya, Picasso or one listed on the site. Reseach the artist and an example of their work and compare to Ai Wei wei