One of China's most recognizable and contentious artists! My hero given his brave and outspoken criticism of his government and condemnation of China's suppression of human rights and free speech....
The Royal Academy of Arts did a superb job of this major exhibition and consisted of materials that included tea, marble and bicycles!
The pieces were profound and the final piece created for this exhibition will never be forgotten.
In 2008 an earthquake destroyed some twenty schools in Sichuan province killing more than 5,000 students. A Citizen's investigation was set up by WeiWei aimed on recording the names of all the victims as authorities compromised the buildings of the schools for their own gain. The names were carefully entered with name, date of birth, gender and it was heartbreaking.
One of two major walls...
Bent and twisted steel were the reinforcing bars used in the schools. 200 tonnes were brought to Beijing where it was painstakingly straightened by hand and laid out to show the fractured land where so many lives were lost.
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Three thousand crabs made in porcelain representing the guests who came to a protest dinner when the government shut down Ai WeiWei's studio...
Bicycle chandelier.....weighs 2 tonnes and every day during Ai WeiWei's house arrest he put fresh flowers in the basket of his bicycle as a silent protest. As his passport was finally returned in July, 2015 this work is especially profound as well as magnificant.
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What a fabulous opportunity!
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