There he copublished a series of three books about this new generation of artists with chinese curator feng boyi. Aug 07, 2015 with ai weiwei having recently received his passport after chinese authorities held it for four years. Tiananmen in beijing, the reichstag in berlin and the white house in washington study of perspective, 19932005. Ai weiwei, wadegiles romanization ai weiwei, born may 18. The case for ai weiwei the art assignment pbs digital. It is the story about the power of art, the power of internet, and how these two can change it all. Black cover book 1994, white cover book 1995 och gray cover book 1997. I made the black cover book 1994, the white cover book 1995 and the grey cover book 1997.
Ai weiwei has 36 books on goodreads with 2962 ratings. The white cover book and the grey cover book, are inspired by chinas underground art movement. Sep 17, 2015 major ai weiwei exhibition champions the visual power of dissent. Beijing 19932003timezone 8 ltd, 2003, followed by his book under construction.
The artist, who mimics the mock horseriding dance moves of the original while wearing handcuffs in his remix, calls his version grassmud horse style, a reference to a chinese internet meme that employs a pun on an obscene phrase to mock government censorship of the web as my colleague michael wines wrote in a thorough explication of the meme in 2009, the. According to ai weiwei, his father was a very good artist who had studied painting in paris. Ai weiwei had blogged for four yearsinvestigating coverups and corruption in the governments handling of a devastating 2008 earthquake in sichuan and the countrys hosting of the olympics. Ai weiweis white house is the 80squaremeter frame of a residential home from southern china built during the qing dynasty 1644 1911. Embattled in a war of words with the chinese government, as warsh notes, ais skill in. Major ai weiwei exhibition champions the visual power of dissent. Ai weiwei, available for purchase in the warhol store. Black cover book 1994, white cover book 1995, and gray cover. Unfortunately for them, the reputation of the man time magazine shortlisted for 2011s person of the year cover story just seems to grow. Taschens new book, meticulously edited and lavishly produced. It is hard cover and the paper is of a very good quality. Ai weiwei covers gangnam style video the new york times. Hans werner holzwarth is a book designer and editor specializing in contemporary art and photography.
In 2005, ai weiwei began to publish a large amount of texts. His taschen publications include collectors editions like jeff koons, christopher wool, albert oehlen, ai weiwei, and the david hockney sumo a bigger book, as well as monographs like the xxlsized jeanmichel basquiat and survey books such as modern art. 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. I made the black cover book 1994, the white cover book 1995. Never sorry is the story of an artist who continues to make ripples in the fabric of chinese society. By visiting our website or transacting with us, you agree to this. Ai weiwei at neugerriemschneider contemporary art daily. Ai created and secretly distributed the white cover book and the grey cover book upon his return from new york to beijing in 1993 to collectively demonstrate contemporary, avantgarde art and.
Chairman mao was the first in the world to use twitter, says ai. It is impossible to simplify my feelings about china. As a result of his fathers denouncement from the antirightist movement, ais family was sent to a labor camp in beidahuang and was eventually exiled to shihezi, xinjiang. Weiwei isms by ai, weiwei and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Ai weiwei was born on august 28, 1957, in beijing, china, to chinese poet ai qing. Theater of the world, which presents work by 71 key artists and groups active across china and worldwide whose critical provocations aim to forge reality free from ideology, to establish the individual apart from the collective, and to define. Described as a free space where you could write anything, black cover 1994, white cover 1995 and gray cover 1997, were only available through wordofmouth. This little book collects ais aphorisms, or weiweiisms, distilled thoughts culled from ais writings. They followed it with a white cover book and a gray cover book, a trilogy. The white cover book 1995 and the grey cover book 1997, coedited by zeng, feature more politically oriented content, including works by contemporary chinese artists and interviews with barbara kruger and jenny holzer. This slim, pocketsized volume compiles quotes made by ai in interviews, in newspaper articles, on his blog, and via twitter. Weiwei reacted against and the governments censorship and provided artists in china with an education they would not have had otherwise.
Published by tai tei publishing company, hong kong, 22. This new limited edition is based on ai weiweis provocative artwork that was presented during a controversial art exhibition fuck off which ran alongside the third shanghai biennale in 2000. Ai weiwei continued publishing, releasing the white cover book in 1995 and the grey cover book in 1997. For ai, this struggle is a war of words, says editor larry warsh in his introduction to weiwei isms, and his own wordsspoken, written, or tweetedare like a bullet out of the gun, ai weiwei repeatedly points out, and centuries of history attest, human rights and freedom of expression are not set by anyones agenda. In the years that followed, ai produced three highly influential books that combined and disseminated the western influences he had acquired. But shortly after returning to shanghai in 1932, the anticommunist nationalist government deemed ai qing a leftist and jailed him for. During this time, he took more than 10,000 blackandwhite photographs of. But as chinese artist ai weiwei s new book weiwei isms. While chinese homes from this period typically had a minimum of three bays between dougong roof supports, the palatial expanse of white house and its ornately decorated queti reinforcements between columns indicate that the former occupants were a. Red flag books, 1997 politicallyoriented content, including works by contemporary chinese artists and interviews with barbara kruger and jenny holzer. Ai weiwei was aged one when he was sent with his parents into forced exile. Ai weiwei, chinese artist and activist whose work included sculptural installations, architectural projects, photographs, and videos. That was the same year security forces detained ai at the. Xu bing and ai weiwei developed the concept for the black cover book in.
In 2000, weiwei was included in feng boyis exhibition, fuck off an alternative to the shanghai biennale. An interview with ai weiwei the andy warhol museum. Tehching, ai weiwei, and xu bing convened in new york city to dis cuss art. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1, 2.
Ai founded the china art archives and warehouse in beijing to support modern chinese. While ais art was lauded internationally, its frequently provocative dimension as well as his political outspokenness triggered forms of repression from chinese authorities. For ai, this struggle is a war of words, says editor larry warsh in his introduction to weiweiisms, and his own wordsspoken, written, or tweetedare like a bullet out of the gun, ai weiwei repeatedly points out, and centuries of history attest, human rights and freedom of expression are not set by anyones agenda. Oct 06, 2016 ai weiwei has been called an iconoclast, a radical, a voice for the voiceless, and was once named the most powerful artist in the world. The books included artworks, essays and interviews with western. Black cover book, the white cover book, and the gray cover book.
Black, white, and grey cover books by guggenheim museum. Maybe ai weiwei was the only artist who could open the newly renovated kemper art museum on the campus of washington. The black, white, and grey cover books, which were coedited by artist ai weiwei, provided a key platform for articulating the artistic. Since then, he has turned to twitter and instagram.
Jun 04, 2019 hans werner holzwarth is a book designer and editor specializing in contemporary art and photography. Black cover book 1994, white cover book 1995, and gray cover book 1997. A documentary reveals the remarkable chinese artist ai weiwei to be a mysterious, opaque. The philosophy of ai weiwei from andy warhol and back again. Ai weiweis first exhibition in turkey is inspired by. But as chinese artist ai weiweis new book weiweiisms proves, small. Much like warhols 1977 book the philosophy of andy warhol from a to b and back again, which featured the artists sprawling essays on sex, celebrity, and america, weiweiisms is a. Ai weiweis work is an audacious blend of old and new, western and eastern, serious and irreverent. Adding to my excitement i got the artist himself to sign it, since this was on the opening night of ai weiweis exhibition in the cycladic. Ai weiwei for day and taxi a new book, art record covers published by taschen and written by francesco spampinato, showcases how artists have used the album cover as a uniquely populist canvas. Ai weiwei, kui hua zi sunflower seeds smarthistory.
While ais art was lauded internationally, the frequently provocative and subversive dimension of his art, as well as his. Ai, weiwei artists as writers libguides at ocad university. Ai weiwei study of perspective, 19952011 tiananmen square, 1995 blackand white photograph, ai weiwei studio ai weiwei sunflower seeds, 2010 detail porcelain, ai weiwei studio written by laura connelly. 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. Either you know the name ai weiwei or you are, to some degree, clueless. Edited by zeng xiaojun and ai weiwei, with zhuang hui.
Aaa collection at the guggenheim alternative publishing. Wei lived in new york for over ten years, where he studied at parsons school of design. The first comprehensive monograph on the life and work of activist and dissident chinese artist ai weiwei, this luxurious, silkwrapped tome takes. With ai weiwei having recently received his passport after chinese authorities held it for four years. Ai weiwei biography facts, childhood, family life, achievements. Tibetan poet tsering woeser and dissident artist ai weiwei have collaborated on a book about tibetan selfimmolations, attempting to explain the suicidal protests that have gripped the himalayan.
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. His taschen publications include collectors editions like jeff koons, christopher wool, albert oehlen, ai weiwei, and the david hockney sumo a bigger book, as well as monographs like the xxlsized jeanmichel basquiat and survey books such as modern art and art now. Found this extremely interesting book ai weiweis blog at the museum of cycladic art shop. The documentary goes onto chronologically reconstruct the events that occurred from the time he. While chinese homes from this period typically had a minimum of three bays between dougong roof supports, the palatial expanse of white house and its ornately decorated queti reinforcements between columns indicate that the former. This little book collects ais aphorisms, or weiweiisms, distilled thoughts culled from ais writings, interviews, and twitter posts on freedom of expression, human rights, art and activism, power and the government, and moral choices. A conversation with hsieh tehching, from the black cover book. A leading figure among chinese artists of his generation, ai weiwei create. Ai weiwei born august 28, 1957, chinese architect, activist. To find out more, including which thirdparty cookies we place and how to manage cookies, see our privacy policy. Ai weiwei atervande till kina 1993, sedan fadern blivit allvarligt sjuk. Oct 17, 20 tibetan poet tsering woeser and dissident artist ai weiwei have collaborated on a book about tibetan selfimmolations, attempting to explain the suicidal protests that have gripped the himalayan. Weiwei ai, moribijutsukan, charles merewether, mami kataoka, kerry brougher published by delmonico books, prestel, hirshh 2012 isbn 10. Oct 12, 2010 ai weiwei born 1957 beijing is a leading chinese artist, curator, architectural designer, cultural and social commentator and activist.
Major ai weiwei exhibition champions the visual power of. The white cover book 1995 and the grey cover book 1997, coedited by zeng. Three thousand copies of each book were published, quickly spreading throughout china without any official system of distribution. Much like warhols 1977 book the philosophy of andy warhol from a to b and back again, which featured the artists sprawling essays on. Ai weiweis studio plays a role in the cultural life of beijing akin to that of andy warhols factory. With hans van dijk and frank uytterhaegen, i established the first contemporary gallery in china, which we named china art archives and warehouse. Beginning with the 2008 sichuan earthquake, ai has emerged as one of chinas most influential bloggers and social activists. Deeply familiar with the crossdisciplinary evolution of ai weiwei s practice, merewether has published numerous essays about ai s work and was editor of the first english monograph on the artist, ai weiwei works. Black cover book 1994, white cover book 1995 and grey cover book 1997. Ai weiwei born 1957 beijing is a leading chinese artist, curator, architectural designer, cultural and social commentator and activist. Ai founded the china art archives and warehouse in.
Back in beijing, he helped establish the experimental artists east village and published a series of three books about this new generation of artists. Deeply familiar with the crossdisciplinary evolution of ai weiweis practice, merewether has published numerous essays about ais work and was editor of the first english monograph on the artist, ai weiwei works. Features fullscreen sharing embed analytics article stories visual stories seo. But as chinese artist ai weiweis new book weiweiisms. Designers marketers social media managers publishers. The simplistic cover adds to the design and creativity that is ai weiwei. Inspired by the silk road, between turkey and china, the latest exhibition by controversial artist ai weiwei, entitled ai weiwei on porcelain, will focus on his wideranging practice in this medium showcasing an extensive selection of artworks from the artists oeuvre alongside new works, it will present a narrative informed by his life story and his approach to both the. The catalogue is published by ngv, in collaboration with the warhol and ai, and edited by eric shiner, the warhols director, and max delany, former ngv senior curator, contemporary art. Licensing if you would like to reproduce an image of a work of art in momas collection, or an image of a moma publication or archival material including installation views, checklists, and press releases, please contact art resource publication in north america or scala archives publication in.
After his return to the peoples republic of china in 1993, he initiated one of the first alternative art spaces in beijing and began writing and publishing texts, including black cover book 1994, white cover book 1995, and grey cover book 1997, which each seek to redefine art. Black, white, and grey cover books guggenheim museum. The philosophy of ai weiwei from andy warhol and back. Ai weiwei is widely known as an artist and political activist, but his role as a. Ai weiwei in a german hospital with blood draining from his hemmorage in 2009 photo via frieze. Study of perspective white house is an iconic example of a larger body of work by ai weiwei that melds art and activism, and is an overt. Three thousand copies of each book were published, quickly spreading throughout china without any official system of. Theater of the world, which presents work by 71 key artists and groups active across china and worldwide whose critical provocations aim to forge reality free from ideology, to establish the individual apart from the. Guggenheim museum for the exhibition art and china after 1989.
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