Ai Weiwei

This publication will delve into Ai Weiwei and his influence on Chinese art and architecture. In my junior year of college during Japanese Art and Architecture I created another publication on Riken Yamamoto. I enjoyed learning about this architect’s life and identifying patterns in their work. In the field of architecture, it is easy to focus on the structure and forget about the interesting lives of the designer. Elements of someone’s personal life can influence their design choices dramatically. When I first thought about this publication, I knew immediately that I wanted to investigate another architect. I started to research famous buildings around China and came across the Beijing National Stadium. I was drawn to the unique design of the metal exoskeleton. At Connecticut College, I am a member of the cross-country and track team. During the indoor track season, I always look forward to traveling to a new venue. Each location has a different architectural design, which I find interesting. The distinctive design of the Olympic Stadium connected directly with my interest in running. I found Ai Weiwei designed the stadium and thus found my research topic. 

Ai Weiwei was born in Beijing China in 1957 and is a prominent Chinese artist and activist. He creates a diverse range of works that include sculptural installations, architectural projects, photographs, and videos. Weiwei has outspoken political views that often clash with Chinese authorities. On August 28^th, 1957, Weiwei’s father Ai Qing who was a widely acclaimed poet, was punished for being rightist and was forced to move to Heilongjiang with his family. Qing was able to return to Beijing in 1976. Ai Weiwei attended the Beijing Film Academy in the year 1978 and soon after moved to the United States in 1981 (Cunningham, 2024). Weiwei’s artwork is inspired by his early childhood trauma of his family being exiled in 1957. Weiwei uses his artwork to question the society that he lives in. The works that will be discussed all connect to anti-communist beliefs from Weiwei.

Weiwei has an interesting relationship to cats. I have grown up around these animals and enjoy spending time with them, Weiwei shares a similar interest. The artist has the view from growing up in China that cats are seen as symbols against communism. He thinks that they could be seen as friends, going against the traditional use of animals for productivity (Newell-Hanson, 2021). Weiwei mentions that cats are important because they have different instincts compared to humans. Weiwei believes that cats, “Take care of themselves, and they make their own fun. To be an individual, to be self-content – those are nice qualities for a life” (Newell-Hanson, 2021). It seems like Weiwei is inspired by his cats and looks up to them for their unique qualities. Weiwei can also be considered an individual because of his artwork that questions authoritarian society. Even after being exiled, he is willing to continue to go against the grain of what is considered normal.

Weiwei – ism is the first academic article that provides an insight into Weiwei’s view of communism. The layout is unlike any other book that I have read, the text is centered in the middle of the page. There are short powerful bursts of concise information. These islands of text hold important viewpoints from Weiwei that provide explanations for his artwork. One of these blocks of text reads, “Living in a system under the Communist ideology, an artist cannot avoid fighting for freedom of expression. You always have to be aware that art is not only a self-expression but a demonstration of human rights and dignity” (Weiwei 2012, p. 10). This quote sheds light on Weiwei’s motivation for his artwork. As an artist, he thinks it is valuable to stand up for his rights. There seems to be an inherent fight against the system for an artist who lives with censorship constraints. Weiwei has fought through restrictions with his artwork. I found it interesting that the quote was not completely about Weiwei as he points to the reader requesting that they interpret artwork differently. He asks the public to be cognizant that artwork is meant to protect the viewers and is less about the artist who has made the piece. When artwork is seen as a demonstration of human rights it inspires more people to stand up for their basic freedoms. 

The second academic article is in the form of a conversation between Mendes and Weiwei. The article is labeled. The World as a Readymade: A Conversation with Ai Weiwei. One important quote from this article reads “The centrality of the concept of ‘reality’ to Ai’s art connects to freedom – the freedom to document, to visually record, reality” (Mendes, 2022, p. 158). This piece of evidence shows that Weiwei addresses problems in his life and the importance of documentation. In Weiwei’s case, the issues are captured through his artwork which are displayed for other people to see. This article has similarities and differences from Weiwei – ism. It is similar because both examples give insight into Weiwei’s thought process behind his work. They both provide a solid understanding that Weiwei is addressing societal problems through artwork. One of the key differences is that Weiwei – ism is in the form of a book written directly by Weiwei. In comparison, The World as a Readymade: a Conversation with Ai Weiwei presents itself as a dialogue between two people and includes Mendes’s own interpretation. The conversation with Weiwei felt different because there was another voice present asking probing questions. In Weiwei – ism the artist’s voice and personal opinions stood out more compared to the interview where they felt diluted. 

This project will cover five interrelated works that all have ideas around freedom of speech and push back against communism. The names of the five pieces that will be analyzed are Beijing National Stadium, Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn, Han Jar Overpaint with Coca-Cola Logo (Silver), Stool, and Map of China. Visually all these pieces share similar qualities of deconstruction, some more than others, which gives these pieces a fragmented appearance. To understand complicated societal problems, it often helps if items are pulled apart and rearranged to see if a new interpretation can lead to a solution. 

There will be a specific order that the five examples follow. Beijing National Stadium will be discussed first as it is the largest piece showing a famous and iconic architectural project. Weiwei’s influence and ability are expressed in this example. It is important to note that this project was not solely completed by Weiwei. He was part of the collaboration stage and worked with others which might have diluted his influence. Weiwei had more of a direct connection to the next four art pieces when compared to the stadium. Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn and Han Jar Overpaint with Coca-Cola Logo (Silver) can be grouped together for both using a similar type of vessel. The last two pieces, Stool and Map of China, are grouped together because they are both examples of wooden furniture. In the final presentation, the pieces were not grouped together in this order. It instead followed more of a chronological sequence with the midterm examples displayed first. The order and grouping in this publication are more cohesive and will connect the pieces through their similarities.  

The Beijing National Stadium has a modern design approach with a metal exoskeleton on the outside. The frame looks like it is woven together. Red accents are seen through the outer portion. Different geometric shapes are created through the many intersecting lines. This structure creates a sense of transparency with openings on the outside. The Olympics are a time when different countries come together in unity through competition and this can be seen in the architecture’s open design. Weiwei had a role in this project, but it was mostly completed by Herzog & de Meuron which is a Swiss-based architecture practice. After the project was completed Weiwei pushed back on the stadium. One quote about Weiwei’s thoughts reads, “When the International Olympic Committee awarded Beijing the Olympics in 2001, it said the Games could help improve human rights. But Ai termed the 2008 Olympics a “low point” as migrant workers were forced out of the city, small shops were shuttered and street vendors removed” (Independent, 2022). The migrant workers had very few rights because they did not have the freedom to stay in the city. It seems like the Olympic stadium had the opportunity to pull people together but instead, it created even more divisions. The theme of deconstruction is seen in this example. The stadium has also been called Bird’s Nest. To build a nest deconstruction of the natural environment is essential. Twigs and grass are taken to construct something entirely new by weaving together different elements. Another way this connects to the theme of deconstruction is that migrant workers needed to leave the city when the stadium was built. The workers social ties to their community were pulled apart when they were forced to leave. 

Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn shows a culturally important vessel being purposefully broken. The vibrant painted urns in the photo’s foreground pull the viewer in. In general, when there is just one photo, movement over time is hard to see. But in this example, a series of them can tell a story and show action. The weathered bricks that complement the black and white elements give this piece a gloomy appearance. The first photo shows the urn being held by Weiwei who is presenting the piece to the camera. The next photo shows Weiwei with his hands spread apart and the urn plummeting towards the ground. Weiwei’s facial expression and hand placement show that he is unfazed by the culturally significant urn falling toward destruction. The final photo shows an unrecognizable urn in pieces. The Mendes article gives insight into why Weiwei dropped the urn, “What I really want to destroy are fixed ideas, not objects. It is not against authoritarianism or some -ism. It’s really about me; it always comes back to me. It is about my understanding, my language, or my appreciation because those are all so conditioned and fixed” (Mendes, 2022, p. 165). There is a contradiction here because Weiwei appears to be purposefully breaking the urn shown by his hand placement even after he stated that he had no intention of breaking objects. He sees his actions as breaking ideas rather than items that are old and culturally significant. Once they are broken, he has fewer cultural restrictions and feels free. It is interesting how he centers these actions around himself instead of the viewer. The act seems to be completed for personal reasons rather than for a spectacle for other people to enjoy. This could be to inspire more people to try to escape from the established elements of life. 

Han Jar Overpaint with Coca-Cola Logo (Silver) shows a vessel with a circular opening at the top with two small handles in the middle portion. The jar itself looks to be very old and has imperfections showing that this piece could have been made by hand. The top lip seems to have an uneven surface and the handles look to be slightly different sizes. These variations might have been caused by the uneven camera angle. The black lines appear to be painted by hand and have faded over the years. Right over the black lines, there is an intrusive Coca-Cola logo. It is interesting how there is a sizable amount of blank space under the logo. The logo could have been added below the black lines. Instead, there was a stylistic choice made to have the old and new elements overlap together creating a chaotic appearance. There seems to be a visually apparent contradiction with this piece. The jar is from the Han Dynasty, a time well before Coca-Cola. The old dynasty and the global company are opposites and do not belong together. Weiwei questions the dynasty and the global company by combining the two. The result is a confusing mix of old pottery with a global company leaving the viewer with a sense of humor. The MET states that the Coca-Cola logo shows global consumerism. It encourages people to see China’s interaction with the West which results in destructive but also constructive outcomes (Authors of the MET, 1995). This piece also connects with the visual theme of deconstruction with the use of labels. The Coca-Cola logo belongs on a soda product but instead, the label was taken off and put onto this older vessel.  

Stool is a sculpture piece that is made from two items that are seen in everyday life. One of the stools has all four legs on the ground while the other three are hovering. The two stools have a hard time interacting with each other because they are awkwardly connected, not allowing two people to sit comfortably. There is a way to merge the stools together allowing two people to sit, but this was not done. There was a choice made by Weiwei to merge two objects to show an uncomfortable interaction. The MET explains Stool and how it shows that modernity has made looking back into the past difficult which creates distortion (Authors of the MET, 2007). Deconstruction is seen clearly here by turning a practical object into one that is unusable. The relationship of two people that could have sat together is also pulled apart and does not exist anymore. By taking the stools apart and putting them back together it creates an entirely new message of the past not being able to work well with the future. 

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Map of China is a wooden piece made from several different interlocking sections. The pieces are tightly fitted together with dovetail joints that seamlessly lock together. Dark contrasts in the wood create colored variations on the surface. There is a machined element to this piece, but the natural elements of the wood are still able to come through. The outer edge of the piece is very precise showing sharp territorial borders. It is interesting to see how Taiwan is a separate piece of wood apart from mainland China which could be a political message. The different wood pieces are from deconstructed Qing dynasty temples. The purpose of these pieces is to show that China has many different identities that are put into one area. Weiwei offers a unique interpretation of China’s formation, and how it is built from many different identities through using a variety of wooden pieces (Authors of the MET, 2006). This artwork connects to the theme of deconstruction by being made from different Qing dynasty temples. By using old, repurposed wood it gives a sense of importance to previous cultures and recognizes that they have played a role in forming today’s society. Deconstruction of the temples provides a new symbolic meaning to China’s cultural identity.  

Weiwei, Map of China. 2006. H. 15 3/4 in.; W. 36 1/2 in. ; D. 31 1/2 in.  Flickr/tpholland.www.flickr.com/photos/tpholland/16426383143/in/photolist-r2xvqt-2p7gzDs-np6u9c-mijWrw-gXR5xy-7kaNPb-np6z2t-gXRnby-gXRgSC-7iKn3z-htvo34-gTQjEP-mvfn44-dAJd78-22m6Vwx-eF4SGo-eF4S7y-pvxkyz-dWYNLF-iv3FHu-q3Kbqj-pthpD9-Nap3Gs-MnSv8g-dTLU7o-MnSvfk-bDFBtK- (Accessed May 13, 2024)

Conclusion

This publication discussed Ai Weiwei and his influence on Chinese art and architecture. The intro section described Weiwei’s early life and his experience when his family was exiled by the Chinese government. This exposure could explain his resistance to communism later in life. In the literature review section, two articles were compared and provided more information on Weiwei’s artistic motivation. They both discussed views about free expression and opposed communism. All five artworks are examples that approached freedom of speech and shared a resistance to communism. The pieces all displayed the visual aspect of deconstruction in various ways. This aspect can tie the examples together because it shows that when communities and objects are deconstructed new interpretations become apparent that are able to challenge social problems. 

References

Ai, W., & Warsh, L. (2013). Weiwei-isms (1st ed.). Princeton, NJ [u.a.]: Princeton Univ. Press.

Authors of the Independent. (2022, Feb 5,). Exiled Artist Ai Weiwei Reflects on Beijing Olympics.Independent

Authors of the Met. (1995). Han Jar Overpainted with Coca-Cola Logo.https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/78215

Authors of the Met. (2006). Map of.  China.https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/77469

Authors of the Met. (2007). Stool.https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/77802

Cunningham, J. (2024). Ai Weiwei .https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ai-Weiwei

Mendes, A. C., & Weiwei, A. (2022). The World as a Readymade: A Conversation with Ai Weiwei.Transnational Screens, 13(2), 157-175. doi:10.1080/25785273.2022.2061143

Newell-Hanson, A. (2021, Furry Friends. New York Times