Artist Digest: Ai Weiwei

Ai Weiwei
Artist Digest
From the Artist

In March 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 global pandemic, artist-activist Ai Weiwei shared a message of hope from his home in the UK.
Conversations
- "The best balance is losing balance"
  
  In the first of a two-part conversation, Ai Weiwei sits down with Anish Kapoor to discuss freedom of expression, how art can challenge power, and what subversive art looks like today.
- "An artist must be an activist"
  
  In an interview with The Guardian, Ai Weiwei answers questions from readers and art world luminaries about creativity and protest, Chinese politics, and more.
Studio Visit

Visit the artist at his studio in Berlin: "It's a place to mastermind the attack."
Works
- Ai Weiwei
  Divina Proportione, 2010
  Wood
  51 x 51 x 51 inches
  
  Inquire
  
  %3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EAi%20Weiwei%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3EDivina%20Proportione%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E2010%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3EWood%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E51%20x%2051%20x%2051%20inches%3C/div%3E
- Ai Weiwei
  Colored Vases, 2014
  Han Dynasty vases (206BC - 220AD) and industrial paint
  5 vases, dimensions variable
  
  Inquire
  
  %3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EAi%20Weiwei%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3EColored%20Vases%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E2014%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3EHan%20Dynasty%20vases%20%28206BC%20-%20220AD%29%20and%20industrial%20paint%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E5%20vases%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3Edimensions%20variable%3C/div%3E
- Ai Weiwei
  Colored Vases, 2014
  Han Dynasty vases (206 BC– 220 AD) and industrial paint
  3 vases, dimensions variable
  
  Inquire
  
  %3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EAi%20Weiwei%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3EColored%20Vases%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E2014%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3EHan%20Dynasty%20vases%20%28206%20BC%E2%80%93%20220%20AD%29%20and%20industrial%20paint%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E3%20vases%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3Edimensions%20variable%3C/div%3E
- Ai Weiwei
  Bicycle Basket with Flowers in Porcelain, 2014
  Porcelain
  11 x 14.5 x 13.25 inches
  
  Inquire
  
  %3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EAi%20Weiwei%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3EBicycle%20Basket%20with%20Flowers%20in%20Porcelain%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E2014%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3EPorcelain%20%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E11%20x%2014.5%20x%2013.25%20inches%3C/div%3E
- Ai Weiwei
  Owl House #03, 2010
  Porcelain
  16.5 x 12 x 8.5 inches
  
  Inquire
  
  %3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EAi%20Weiwei%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3EOwl%20House%20%2303%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E2010%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3EPorcelain%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E16.5%20x%2012%20x%208.5%20inches%3C/div%3E
- Ai Weiwei
  Marble Helmet
  Marble
  12 x 10 x 6 inches
  
  Inquire
  
  %3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EAi%20Weiwei%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3EMarble%20Helmet%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3EMarble%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E12%20x%2010%20x%206%20inches%3C/div%3E
- Ai Weiwei
  Handcuffs, 2012
  Wood
  16 x 5 x 1 inches
  
  Inquire
  
  %3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EAi%20Weiwei%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3EHandcuffs%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E2012%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3EWood%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E16%20x%205%20x%201%20inches%3C/div%3E
- Ai Weiwei
  With Wind (Individual Kite, Single Bird), 2014
  Fabric and bamboo
  59 x 57 x 7 inches
  
  Inquire
  
  %3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EAi%20Weiwei%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3EWith%20Wind%20%28Individual%20Kite%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3ESingle%20Bird%29%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22comma%22%3E%2C%20%3C/span%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E2014%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3EFabric%20and%20bamboo%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E59%20x%2057%20x%207%20inches%3C/div%3E
Critic's Corner
AI WEIWEI HITS LOS ANGELES: 'I CANNOT ACCEPT ANYTHING WHICH IS NOT PRECISE'

by Janelle Zara
From the Vault

The 10,000+ photographs taken by Ai Weiwei while living in New York (1983 - 1993) offer a unique insight into a young artist's community and the city's socio-political atmosphere.
Take a 3-D tour of Trace , Ai Weiwei's installation featuring LEGO portraits of prisoners of conscience from around the world. The work was the centerpiece of his 2014 solo exhibition @Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz , curated by Cheryl Haines through the FOR-SITE Foundation.
BACK TO ARTIST PAGE