Ai Weiwei « Arrested Motion

Tag Archives: Ai Weiwei

Ai Weiwei Poses As Drowned Syrian Child Alan Kurdi

Posted by sleepboy, February 4, 2016

The disturbing photo of the Syrian child Alan Kurdi laying drowned on the beach has become an a rallying point for those concerned about the refugee crisis. Chinese artist and dissident Ai Weiwei recently posed as the boy for a photograph shot by Rohit Chawla for an upcoming issue of one of India’s largest news publications – India Today. AWW has spent much time visiting the refugee camps and has been bringing attention to the situation in many other ways including recently canceling an exhibition in Copenhagen after […]

Previews: Ai Weiwei – “Er Xi” @ Le Bon Marché

Posted by SAL, January 11, 2016

In July 2015, Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei finally got his passport back four years after Chinese authorities seized it preventing him from leaving the country. In recent months, he’s been traveling around Europe, from UK to Greece, where he visited the refugee camp on Lesbos and set up a studio there. Currently he is Paris, working on an upcoming exhibition at Le Bon Marché, an upscale department store. This is the first time Weiwei will be showing at a retail space, and for this occasion, his team is building a giant installation […]

Showing: Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei @ National Gallery Victoria

Posted by SAL, December 29, 2015

On the 11th of December, the National Gallery Victoria in Melbourne opened a major international exhibition featuring two of the most significant artists of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries – Andy Warhol and Ai Weiwei. Staying on view through the 24th of April, the show presents more than 300 works, including major new commissions, immersive installations and a wide representation of paintings, sculpture, film, photography, publishing and social media. Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei was organized by the NGV and The Andy Warhol Museum, with the participation of Ai Weiwei himself. The […]

Showing: Ai Weiwei – “Circle of Animals / Zodiac Heads” @ CAC Malaga

Posted by SAL, September 29, 2015

Finally released from a house arrest by the government after 600 days on 22th of July, Ai Weiwei has been very active in the recent months. The Centro de Arte Contemporáneo de Málaga is currently exhibiting his touring show Circle of Animals / Zodiac Heads, which is his first showing in Spain. First introduced at the 29th São Paulo Biennale back in 2010 (then in LA and NYC) the exhibition features 12 bronze sculptures over three meters tall that represent the heads of the animals in […]

Upcoming: Anish Kapoor x Ai Weiwei Refugee Walk (London)

Posted by sleepboy, September 16, 2015

Tomorrow (September 17th) in London, Anish Kapoor and Ai Weiwei will be joining forces for a walk to bring awareness to the 60 million refugees in our world today. Each will carry a blanket as a symbol and everyone who is interested is invited to join them with a blanket as well. These actions will be repeated by the artists in different cities around the world in upcoming months. The route details of the London walk will be announced, presumably through the Instagram accounts of Kapoor & […]

Upcoming: “Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei” @ National Gallery of Victoria

Posted by sleepboy, July 13, 2015

Coming up in December of this year, an interesting pairing of Andy Warhol and Ai Weiwei will open at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne before traveling to Pittsburgh’s Andy Warhol Museum in June of 2016. Surveying the careers of two of the most significant artists of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, the exhibition will feature over 300 works, including immersive installations and a wide representation of painting, sculpture, film, photography, publishing and social media. Most intriguing will be their goal of exploring the parallels and intersections between […]

Ai Weiwei Pours Paint Over Designer Clothes For Magazine V

Posted by sleepboy, January 16, 2015

Last year, V Magazine sent over clothes to Ai Weiwei from 14 young designers carried by Dover Street Market, Comme des Garçons designer Rei Kawakubo’s concept store. The Chinese artist was given carte blanche to shoot the garments in any way he saw so he took the opportunity to reference his 2006/2008 Colored Vases series by using the same colors splashed on models wearing what he was sent. You can read more about the collaboration here, but AWW states – “Pouring a color on an outfit creates a […]

Je Suis Charlie (Part II)

Posted by sleepboy, January 11, 2015

With some of the perpetrators behind the horrific acts of terror in Paris brought to justice, we can now voice a small sigh a relief although the art world is still reeling from those targeted at Charlie Hedbo. With the weekly newspaper determined to carry on despite what happened, artists around the world continue to show their support for freedom of expression including an interesting contribution from Ai Weiwei (seen above). Take a look at more images below and see Part I of our coverage […]

Showing: Ai Weiwei – “F Grass” Installation @ Vancouver Biennale

Posted by SAL, December 27, 2014

China’s most notorious artist and social activist, Ai Weiwei, recently introduced a new public piece created exclusively for the Vancouver Biennale. F Grass is a site specific piece currently exhibited in Harbour Green Park, Vancouver, that is composed of 1328 tufts of iron grass. Totaling 182 square meters, this installation shows letter F, constructed of oversized grass tufts. F Grass is the continuation of the Chinese artist’s large-scale installation Sunflower Seeds made for Tate Modern in 2010 (covered), as they both share a similar idea – “the relationship between the individual and the collective and the […]

Previews: Ai Weiwei – “@Large” on Alcatraz

Posted by sleepboy, September 25, 2014

Starting September 27th thru April of next year, a major exhibition from Ai Weiwei will be on view at Alcatraz Island in San Francisco. The legendary prison and tourist hotspot is an intriguing location for the Chinese aritst’s creative endeavor as well as his message about human rights and freedom of expression, bringing his work in tension with ideas of confinement and restriction intrinsic to the locale. Seven site specific installations – With Wind (seen above), Trace, Refraction, Stay Tuned, Illumination, Blossom, Yours Truly will be […]