Ai Weiwei

A thought-provoking work by a singular voice, this short, sharp essay invites us to critically reconsider power, ideology and the boundaries of free speech. Invisible, invasive and widely taken for granted, censorship is a globalized force as much driven by commercial interests as political agendas. Ai Weiwei – artist, activist and one of the world’s most influential cultural figures – has first-hand experience of its power. In this urgent piece of writing, he makes a rallying cry for free speech in an age shaped by big data, mass surveillance and intrusive new technologies of control. Ai Weiwei examines how censorship persists both in the overt propagandizing and redactions of authoritarian regimes, as well as subtly within democratic frameworks, exploring how international corporations, cultural institutions, social media and so-called ideologies of ‘freedom’ have provided fertile ground for new, more insidious, suppressions.

Ai Weiwei is famous for much more than his art. As a champion for the right to free expression and against arbitrary state power, his actions reach far beyond the art world. His work is infused with a deep social and political commitment: when he brings 1,001 Chinese citizens from all classes and regions to Documenta 12, when he strews over 100 million hand-made porcelain sunflower seeds across the Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern, when he creates a frieze of school bags commemorating the many children who fell victim to the tragedy of the Sichuan earthquake, or when he visits the refugee camps of the world to engage with often-ignored individual fates in his film Human Flow. In 2011, Ai was detained for 81 days by the Chinese police for his relentless questioning of authorities, and his passport was taken away. Despite international protests he received it back only in 2015. Finally traveling outside of China again, setting up base in Berlin and lately in Portugal, he has now become a truly global artist, whose work is always informed by his activism and vice versa. Focusing on the recent decade of art and activism by one of the most outspoken artists of our time, this edition provides TASCHEN’s previous Ai Weiwei monograph with a comprehensive update. Now exploring 40 years of work, the book ranges from the artist’s exile in ’80s New York, through sculptures based in Chinese traditions and craftsmanship after his return to China, to his latest works conceived in Europe: toy-brick mosaics, films, and installations championing human rights. This book is itself a historical document: initially produced as the first in-depth monograph in close collaboration with the artist during a time when he still couldn’t travel abroad, now the same team has reconvened to continue the story. Countless images from Ai’s archives show the studio day-to-day, the artwork production, the political actions. They are accompanied by artist’s statements made especially for this book, and by three far-ranging essays: independent curator Roger M. Buergel and art historian Alfred Weidinger, who both worked with the artist on major exhibitions, discuss the work and its development in thematic detail, while long-time friend, the entrepreneur and collector Uli Sigg, delivers a personal portrait of the artist from two points in time.

The first book to dive exclusively into Ai Weiwei’s approach to design and collecting, shedding light on the value we ascribe to everyday objects. Artist, film-maker, architect, activist, collector – whatever mode Ai Weiwei is in, he is trying to tell us something about the state of the world. This book presents Ai’s work as a commentary on design and what it reveals about our changing values. Confronted by the rapid pace of change in his country, Ai became fascinated by Chinese antiquities. His vast collections of historical artefacts, from Stone Age tools to broken teapot spouts, attest to the way the language of objects speaks across the ages. Is this a classic tale of technical progress, or have we lost crucial qualities with the march of time? Ai invites us to make sense of these objects as he explores the tensions between past and present, hand and machine, precious and worthless, construction and destruction.

"A szabadság hangja: ékesszóló és elhallgathatatlan" - méltatja a New York Times Ai Weiwei nagy ívű memoárját, amelyben a szerző saját művészi fejlődése mellett Kína utolsó száz évének történelmét is bemutatja. Ai Weiwei apját, Aj Csinget, Mao Ce-tung egykori bizalmasát és a nemzet ünnepelt költőjét a kínai Kulturális Forradalom alatt jobboldalinak bélyegezték, és családjával együtt a kietlen "Kis-Szibériába" száműzték, ahol büntetésből latrinát kellett takarítania. Ai Weiwei felidézi a számkivetettségben töltött éveket, majd a későbbi nehéz döntést: elhagyja családját, hogy Amerikában folytasson művészeti tanulmányokat. Őszintén és felkavaróan írja le visszatérését szülőhazájába; hogy miképpen vált ismeretlen alkotóból világsztárrá és nemzetközi emberi jogi aktivistává - és hogyan formálta a művészetét a totalitárius rendszer, amelyben élt. Szobrait és installációit szerte a világon milliók ismerik, és az ikonikus, "Madárfészek"-nek nevezett Pekingi Nemzeti Stadion tervezésében is részt vett. Politikai aktivitása miatt a kínai hatóságok üldözik, 2011-ben titokban, vádemelés nélkül letartóztatták. Korunk egyik legnagyobb hatású művésze a saját és édesapja élettörténetén keresztül tárja fel kivételes alkotótehetségének és szenvedélyes politikai hitvallásának gyökereit. Bensőséges hangon szól a családjáról, de kísérletet tesz a modern Kínát formáló számtalan erő és hatás megértésére is, miközben mindannyiunkat arra figyelmeztet: a kifejezés szabadságát védeni állandó és halaszthatatlan kötelességünk. "1957-ben láttam meg a napvilágot, nyolc évvel az "új Kína" megszületése után. Apám negyvenhét éves volt ekkor. Gyerekkoromban ritkán mesélt a múltról, a tényeket az éppen uralkodó politikai narratíva sűrű ködje takarta, és a kíváncsiskodás még elgondolni is szörnyű következményekkel járhatott. Hogy az új rend követelményeinek megfeleljenek, a kínaiaknak meg kellett békülniük a szellem hanyatlásával, egyben elvesztették azt a képességüket, hogy úgy mondják el az eseményeket, ahogyan megtörténtek."

Here, through the sweeping lens of his own and his father's life, Ai Weiwei tells an epic tale of China over the last 100 years, from the Cultural Revolution to the modern-day Chinese Communist Party. Here is the story of a childhood spent in desolate exile after his father, Ai Qing, once China's most celebrated poet, fell foul of the authorities. Here is his move to America as a young man and his return to China, his rise from unknown to art-world superstar and international rights activist. Here is his extraordinary account of how his work has been shaped by living under a totalitarian regime. It's the story of a father and a son, of exceptional creativity and passionate belief, and of how two indomitable spirits enabled the world to understand their country.

„A szabadság hangja: ékesszóló és elhallgathatatlan" - méltatja a New York Times Ai Weiwei nagy ívű memoárját, amelyben a szerző saját művészi fejlődése mellett Kína utolsó száz évének történelmét is bemutatja. Ai Weiwei apját, Aj Csinget, Mao Ce-tung egykori bizalmasát és a nemzet ünnepelt költőjét a kínai Kulturális Forradalom alatt jobboldalinak bélyegezték, és családjával együtt a kietlen „Kis-Szibériába" száműzték, ahol büntetésből latrinát kellett takarítania. Ai Weiwei felidézi a számkivetettségben töltött éveket, majd a későbbi nehéz döntést: elhagyja családját, hogy Amerikában folytasson művészeti tanulmányokat. Őszintén és felkavaróan írja le visszatérését szülőhazájába; hogy miképpen vált ismeretlen alkotóból világsztárrá és nemzetközi emberi jogi aktivistává - és hogyan formálta a művészetét a totalitárius rendszer, amelyben élt. Szobrait és installációit szerte a világon milliók ismerik, és az ikonikus, „Madárfészek"-nek nevezett Pekingi Nemzeti Stadion tervezésében is részt vett. Politikai aktivitása miatt a kínai hatóságok üldözik, 2011-ben titokban, vádemelés nélkül letartóztatták. Korunk egyik legnagyobb hatású művésze a saját és édesapja élettörténetén keresztül tárja fel kivételes alkotótehetségének és szenvedélyes politikai hitvallásának gyökereit. Bensőséges hangon szól a családjáról, de kísérletet tesz a modern Kínát formáló számtalan erő és hatás megértésére is, miközben mindannyiunkat arra figyelmeztet: a kifejezés szabadságát védeni állandó és halaszthatatlan kötelességünk. „1957-ben láttam meg a napvilágot, nyolc évvel az "új Kína" megszületése után. Apám negyvenhét éves volt ekkor. Gyerekkoromban ritkán mesélt a múltról, a tényeket az éppen uralkodó politikai narratíva sűrű ködje takarta, és a kíváncsiskodás még elgondolni is szörnyű következményekkel járhatott. Hogy az új rend követelményeinek megfeleljenek, a kínaiaknak meg kellett békülniük a szellem hanyatlásával, egyben elvesztették azt a képességüket, hogy úgy mondják el az eseményeket, ahogyan megtörténtek."

Renowned artist Ai Weiwei engaged nearly 900,000 visitors in a conversation about human rights with his art installation @Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz. In one participatory piece, Yours Truly, visitors sent 92,829 postcards to prisoners of conscience around the world. This book delves into those postcards' lasting impact. Five former prisoners and their loved ones reflect on the experience of receiving hundreds of postcards while imprisoned. Essays and a statement by Ai Weiwei contextualize this extraordinary project. And photographs taken during the exhibition show visitors and the messages they wrote. The book also includes four pre-addressed, tear-out postcards, inviting readers-whether art lovers or activists-to send hope to individuals still imprisoned for defending human rights.

Writings on human life and the refugee crisis by the most important political artist of our time Ai Weiwei (b. 1957) is widely known as an artist across media: sculpture, installation, photography, performance, and architecture. He is also one of the world's most important artist-activists and a powerful documentary filmmaker. His work and art call attention to attacks on democracy and free speech, abuses of human rights, and human displacement--often on an epic, international scale. This collection of quotations demonstrates the range of Ai Weiwei's thinking on humanity and mass migration, issues that have occupied him for decades. 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.

This collection of quotes demonstrates the elegant simplicity of Ai Weiwei's thoughts on key aspects of his art, politics, and life. A master at communicating powerful ideas in astonishingly few words, Ai Weiwei is known for his innovative use of social media to disseminate his views. The short quotations presented here have been carefully selected from articles, tweets, and interviews given by this acclaimed Chinese artist and activist. The book is organized into six categories: freedom of expression; art and activism; government, power, and moral choices; the digital world; history, the historical moment, and the future; and personal reflections. Together, these quotes span some of the most revealing moments of Ai Weiwei's eventful career—from his risky investigation into student deaths in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake to his arbitrary arrest in 2011—providing a window into the mind of one of the world's most electrifying and courageous contemporary artists. Select Quotes from the Book: On Freedom of Expression *"Say what you need to say plainly, and then take responsibility for it." *"A small act is worth a million thoughts." *"Liberty is about our rights to question everything." On Art and Activism *"Everything is art. Everything is politics." *"The art always wins. Anything can happen to me, but the art will stay." *"Life is art. Art is life. I never separate it. I don't feel that much anger. I equally have a lot of joy." On Government, Power, and Making Moral Choices *"Once you've tasted freedom, it stays in your heart and no one can take it. Then, you can be more powerful than a whole country." *"I feel powerless all the time, but I regain my energy by making a very small difference that won't cost me much." *"Tips on surviving the regime: Respect yourself and speak for others. Do one small thing every day to prove the existence of justice." On the Digital World *"Only with the Internet can a peasant I have never met hear my voice and I can learn what's on his mind. A fairy tale has come true." *"The Internet is uncontrollable. And if the Internet is uncontrollable, freedom will win. It's as simple as that." *"The Internet is the best thing that could have happened to China." On History, the Historical Moment, and the Future *"If a nation cannot face its past, it has no future." *"We need to get out of the old language." *"The world is a sphere, there is no East or West." Personal Reflections *"I've never planned any part of my career— except being an artist. And I was pushed into that corner because I thought being an artist was the only way to have a little freedom." *"Anyone fighting for freedom does not want to totally lose their freedom." *"Expressing oneself is like a drug. I'm so addicted to it."