Ai Weiwei

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Ai Weiwei (2017)

Ai Weiwei ( Chinese  艾 未 未 , Pinyin Ài Wèiwèi ; born August 28, 1957 in Beijing ) is a Chinese conceptual artist , sculptor and curator . The human rights activist and dissident was arrested from April to June 2011 after statements critical of the government during the protests in China in 2011 and was banned from traveling until 2015. He lived in Berlin until 2019 and since then in Cambridge .

Life

Youth and studies, family

Ai Weiwei was born in 1957 to Gao Ying and the Chinese poet , painter and critic Ai Qing (艾青, 1910–1996). The painter Ai Xuan (* 1947), his half-brother, is much better known in China than Ai Weiwei. During his father's twenty years in exile , he grew up in Manchuria and Xinjiang .

In 1978 he enrolled at the Beijing Film Academy , where he studied with Chinese directors Chen Kaige and Zhang Yimou, among others . In 1979 he was a founding member of the artist group Stars Group , which rejected a Chinese art according to state guidelines. From 1981 to 1993 he lived in the USA , mainly in New York . During this time he was mainly concerned with performance , conceptual art , Dadaism and pop art . In 1983 he began studying at the Parsons School of Design in New York with the help of a scholarship; However, this was not extended after one year due to a failed examination in art history . In the period that followed, Ai Weiwei said he was staying illegally in the United States.

In 1993 he returned to Beijing because of his father's illness and lived in the Dashanzi Art District . Ai Weiwei is married to the artist Lu Qing . The son Lao (* around 2008), who lived with his mother Wang Fen in Berlin, comes from an extramarital relationship that earned him the criminal charge of bigamy .

Artistic and political activity in China

In 1994, Ai Weiwei founded the China Art Archives and Warehouse gallery for experimental art in Beijing. He created works that dealt with older Chinese art objects and with the Cultural Revolution . His references to Pop Art and Conceptual Art were incorporated.

From 2005 he wrote a blog on socio-political issues as well as art and architecture. In it he expressed criticism of the Chinese government. The blog was blocked in 2009.

Because of his political and social commitment, he was regularly subjected to reprisals by Chinese authorities and the police. During a police operation to investigate the earthquake in Sichuan , he suffered a cerebral haemorrhage before a trial against his assistant Tan Zuoren at the beginning of August 2009 , which is why he was later operated on at the Großhadern Clinic .

In autumn 2010, the Shanghai city ​​council ordered the evacuation of the building in which his studio was located. When Ai Weiwei then announced a "demolition party" to inform the public about the planned eviction of the building, he was placed under house arrest by the authorities for two days on November 5, 2010. According to Ai Weiweis, around 1,000 visitors with internet access had registered for the celebration. The party took place with about 800 people without the host. According to press reports and the German Press Agency , on November 6th, Ai Weiwei spoke out against the destruction of the environment and the lack of educational opportunities in China and criticized: "The government, the entire system [...] sacrifices education, environmental resources and the interests of most people just to do so a few people with ties to the government can get extremely rich. "

Lettering "Release Ai Weiwei" on the building of the Tate Modern in London, which is exhibiting the installation Sunflower Seeds in 2010/2011 .

On November 11, 2010, Ai Weiwei informed the international media that he had received an official letter asking him to demolish the building where his studio is located before November 21 at his own expense. At the same time, the artist announced that Zhao Lianhai had been sentenced to two and a half years in prison on the grounds that he had fueled social unrest for setting up parent groups to expose the 2008 baby food scandal . He saw the reason for the increasing pressure from the Shanghai authorities in his art of political action.

Detained in 2011

At the beginning of December 2010, Ai Weiwei was prevented from leaving the People's Republic of China for the first time. This was linked to the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to the regime critic Liu Xiaobo in Oslo , who was unable to attend the handover ceremony on December 10, 2010 because he was detained for political reasons.

Ai Weiwei's studio was demolished on January 11, 2011. He published photos of the studio and its destruction in July 2011 on his Google+ page.

In March 2011 it was announced that Ai Weiwei intended to acquire a studio in Berlin-Schöneweide in order to have a second place with his team next to the Beijing studio.

On April 3, 2011, on the way to Hong Kong, Ai Weiwei was arrested by Chinese police at Beijing Airport and has been detained until further notice. He should answer for unspecified "economic crimes" in court. In the days immediately before, the German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle had been on a state visit to China and on April 1, 2011 opened the Art of Enlightenment exhibition in the Chinese National Museum in Beijing. Ai Weiwei was on the invitation list of the German organizers, but was not admitted to the opening ceremony by the Chinese authorities. He had previously announced that Germany was showing this exhibition at Tiananmen Square, where the protest movement had been violently ended in 1989 , and that at a time when the repression was increasing again.

The arrest of Ai Weiwei by the Chinese police was the culmination of the artist's political struggle. Ai Weiwei sent a video message to the TED conference in the USA, which showed the means by which the Chinese government was monitoring him and trying to intimidate him. The artist's wife was forbidden to speak, and several of his employees had also " disappeared ", including his lawyer Liu Xiaoyuan temporarily. Meanwhile, a media campaign alleging allegations against Ai Weiwei had started. On the other hand, there were increased international protests against his imprisonment.

On April 20, 2011 it was announced that Ai Weiwei would receive a visiting professorship at the University of the Arts in Berlin. In an interview with a Berlin daily newspaper, his sister emphasized Ai Weiwei's close ties with Berlin. On April 23, 2011, around 100 first signatories, including sinologists and representatives from culture and business, published the Berlin appeal for the release of Ai Weiwei. The Swiss Interior Minister Didier Burkhalter also expressed his concern, and the German Minister of State and Culture Commissioner Bernd Neumann called for Ai Weiwei's release. The Akademie der Künste in Berlin accepted Ai Weiwei into its ranks on May 7, 2011, as its President Klaus Staeck announced, firstly because of his artistic importance, but also out of political solidarity. In some metropolises in Europe, e.g. In response to Ai Weiwei's disappearance, for example, exhibitions of his works were organized in London and North America at short notice. In addition, there was political pressure at the head of government and foreign ministerial level and various other manifestations. The then German human rights commissioner of the federal government Markus Löning shared after a five-day visit to China, during which he was not only politicians but also journalists, artists and others. a. Representatives of civil society had met at a press conference on May 19, 2011, saying that he considers the German-Chinese relationship to be “strained” by the action against Ai Weiwei. Contrary to the rule of law, Ai Weiwei is still being held in an unknown location without legal representation. The repression, especially against bloggers, continues to increase. The Chinese government officials had "swept off the table" his arguments.

At a press conference on May 10, 2011, the Chinese Foreign Ministry rejected the reporting in the German public and the inquiries from German journalists on the grounds that the German media should respect the “sovereignty of the Chinese judiciary”. Ai Weiwei has been charged with economic crimes and the outside world should not comment on the ongoing investigation. It went on to say: "Nobody has the privilege to stand above the law or to transgress the boundaries of the law just because someone in the West values ​​them." During a visit to bodies of the European Union in mid-May 2011, the deputy Chinese said Foreign Minister criticized the Europeans as "condescending".

The first public sign of life came on May 15, 2011, when the wife Lu Qing, after asking for permission to visit, was briefly asked to the police station and from there to an unknown location - possibly to one of the so-called police guest houses - where she was Ai Weiwei Was able to speak for about 20 minutes in the presence of guards. Issues related to his disappearance were not allowed to be discussed. According to her lawyer, Liu Xiaoyuan , Ai Weiwei wore plain clothes to the meeting, was given medication, and was able to go for walks in the garden. Ai Weiwei's sister and mother said they were relieved that he was in good health and had not been mistreated.

The Chinese press agency Xinhua and government newspapers reported from May 20, 2011 that Ai Weiwei had evaded taxes on a large scale. The relatives rejected these allegations on the grounds that the artist should be politically silenced in this way. On June 22, 2011, two and a half months after he was arrested, Ai Weiwei was released after bailing out, according to a report from the Xinhua News Agency. He has made a confession of tax evasion and is chronically ill. The artist's release from prison was conditional, he was not allowed to speak to journalists and was not allowed to leave Beijing for a year. It happened a few days before the Chinese Prime Minister's state visit to Berlin. An Amnesty International spokeswoman described the release as a small positive step, but complained that the detention was illegal under Chinese law. A few days later, his four employees, who had also disappeared, were released again. There was no coverage of these events in the Chinese press. Only the English-language Global Times published the news from Xinhua.

Ai Weiwei was admitted to the Akademie der Künste, Berlin , at the beginning of June 2011, subject to his approval . After his conditional release, he gave his consent "with great joy". Ai Weiwei also wanted to take up the visiting professorship at the Berlin University of the Arts, but the Chinese authorities had not given him permission to leave the country. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Wei said, "Provocative people like Ai Weiwei have to be kept in check."

Interview with Ai Weiwei broadcast at re: publica 2013 (English)

After it became known at the beginning of November 2011 that the artist was supposed to pay 1.7 million euros in taxes, a large amount of anonymous donations were received, especially from within Germany. Ai Weiwei paid the calculated tax liability on time without the penalty surcharge as a deposit, in order to then appeal legally. A little later, according to Ai Weiweis, an accusation of pornography was added to the allegation of tax evasion. The police prevented Ai Weiwei from attending a hearing on June 20, 2012, during his ongoing appeal process. After the residence restriction was partially lifted on June 21, 2012, after a year, Ai Weiwei announced that he had not got his passport back and was therefore still not allowed to leave the country. According to his own statements, the authorities accused him of bigamy, illegal currency trading and dissemination of pornography. The artist rejected these allegations and demanded that he could accept the numerous invitations to travel abroad. He is not planning to go into exile. His appeal in the tax evasion process was dismissed on July 20, 2012. Ai Weiwei also had to stay away from the verdict.

Ai Weiwei called the awarding of the Nobel Prize for Literature 2012 to Mo Yan a "serious mistake" because he did not object to human rights violations, but instead held an official position as Vice President of the Writers' Union. This is a "tragic decision" for artists in China who are suffering from censorship.

On July 22, 2015, Ai received his passport back from the authorities, which ended the artist's travel ban.

According to ORF, on October 5, 2015, Ai Wei Wei posted photos of several eavesdropping bugs found during the renovation of his studio in Beijing via Instagram.

Berlin 2015–2019

On November 1, 2015, Ai Weiwei introduced himself as a visiting professor at the Berlin University of the Arts. He has lived in Berlin ever since.

In August 2019, Ai Weiwei announced his departure from Germany and expressed strong criticism of Germany: “It is a society that wants to be open, but above all protects itself. German culture is so strong that it doesn't really accept other ideas and arguments. There is hardly any room for open debate, hardly any respect for dissenting voices. ”Ai Weiwei's criticism led to answers from all cultural areas. He settled with his family in Cambridge , England , where his son attended school, but kept his studio on the Pfefferberg site in Berlin.

In an interview with the British Guardian in January 2020, he described Germany as “intolerant” and “rude” compared to Great Britain. In Germany one spoke German - he did not learn the language - and the Germans had a deep dislike for foreigners. Like the Chinese, the Germans are authoritarian and like to be oppressed. Regarding the democracy movement in Hong Kong, Ai Weiwei emphasized that Germany was only interested in economic relations with China and was therefore acting indifferently.

Nazism exists in everyday life in Germany. Fascism means putting one ideology above others and declaring it pure by devaluing other ways of thinking, said Ai Weiwei. “That is Nazism.” As a self-experienced example of xenophobia in Germany, he cited - as in the previous year against the world - the experience of being thrown from taxis three times, which prompted an author of the Neue Zürcher Zeitung to comment that it was It is normal in Berlin to be treated badly in taxis, you shouldn't take it personally. He also quarreled with a casino clerk, calling him a Nazi, and was sued as he was preparing to leave for the UK. He doesn't want his son to grow up in hostile conditions, says Ai Weiwei. The British are at least polite compared to Germans.

plant

In his work, Ai Weiwei comments on the serious changes that have taken place in China since the country opened up economically. He criticizes the violations of human rights, economic exploitation and environmental pollution in his homeland and refers formally not only to the artistic traditions of China , but also to the co-founder of conceptual art and pioneer of Dadaism Marcel Duchamp . In installations he uses objects such as antiques or spiritual objects to put them in a new context. He regularly takes part in performances, including as part of his exhibitions. Ai Weiwei is one of the internationally best-known representatives of contemporary Chinese art.

In his work, Ai deals with a variety of artistic forms of expression, including creating pictures, books, films, houses, installations, photographs and sculptures.

Architecture projects

Ai Weiwei acted as artistic advisor to the Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron for the construction of the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics . He was one of the protagonists in the documentary Bird's Nest - Herzog & de Meuron in China . Ai had advised Herzog & de Meuron at the beginning of the project, but later vehemently criticized it as megalomaniac and inadequate. This was finally shown in the disproportionately high cost overrun, which even led to the discussion about the abandonment of the construction project.

Shortly before the opening ceremony of the Games, he decided not to participate.

Also in collaboration with Herzog & de Meuron, Ai curated the failed architectural project Ordos 100 , a housing estate near the city of Ordos in Inner Mongolia. 100 villas were to be designed by 100 architects from 27 countries, selected by Herzog & de Meuron.

Books

After his first return to China in 1993, Ai published three books in which he gave contemporary Chinese artists the opportunity to explain their approach ( The Black Cover Book , 1994; The White Cover Book , 1995; The Gray Cover Book , 1997) .

Film projects

Between 2003 and 2005, Ai made several feature films about the traffic-filled streets of Beijing. In the films Beijing: The Second Ring and Beijing: The Third Ring , the camera scans the streets of Chang'an Boulevard and the second and third ring. Ai explained the films as an "almost mathematical, un-emotional way to show the impotence of people and the blind nature of urban redevelopment".

The documentary Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry by Alison Klayman (2012) shows excerpts from three years of his life, including the scene of his arrest in 2011. The German premiere took place at the Documenta in Kassel.

In 2017 he received an invitation to compete at the 74th Venice International Film Festival for the documentary Human Flow . The 140-minute film, a German-American co-production, uses artistic means to address the global refugee crisis.

Exhibitions

Solo exhibitions have mainly been shown in Australia , Belgium , China , France , Germany , Italy , Japan , South Korea and the USA. He took part in the 48th Venice Biennale , Guangzhou Triennial 2002 in China, Biennale of Sydney 2006 and documenta 12 . For the documenta he designed the Fairytale project and the outdoor work Template , which collapsed after a heavy storm.

  • In 2006 the installation was shown territorially at the MMK Museum of Modern Art in Frankfurt am Main . Here his objects worked together with the installations by the American artist Serge Spitzer .
  • In 2010 “Field, 2010” was installed in front of the entrance to Art 41 Basel on the exhibition site of Ai Weiwei .
  • 2010/2011: The Unilever Series: Sunflower Seeds . Tate Modern , London. On the floor of the former turbine hall, around one hundred million hand-made porcelain sunflower seeds have been poured out to cover the room, and it was initially planned that visitors could enter them. Due to the abrasion that was detected, this is no longer possible (as of November 5, 2010).
  • 2011: In March 2011, Ai Weiwei's second exhibition was to open in Beijing. But the artist himself canceled the exhibition in mid-February, as it was supposed to be postponed due to the annual meeting of the People's Congress taking place at the same time .
  • 2014: Evidence , Martin-Gropius-Bau , Berlin
  • 2017/2018: Ai Weiwei, Good Fences Make Good Neighbors , New York City.

Music video and record

  • The video Dumbass (Explicit) has been on the internet since May 2013 . The Hong Kong cameraman Christofer Doyle stages Ai Weiwei's stay in prison in 2011. The music for it comes from the rock musician Zuxiao Zuzhou . The video was censored in China.
  • On June 2, 2013, his first pop record entitled The Divine Comedy was presented. The music was produced by Zuxiao Zuzhou.

Solo exhibitions

Reframe 2016 , Ai Weiwei Studio, on the facade of Palazzo Strozzi in October 2016
  • March 2, 2008 to November 23, 2008: Ai Weiwei , Groninger Museum , Groningen, Netherlands
  • July 25, 2009 to November 8, 2009: Ai Weiwei - ACCORDING TO WHAT? , MORI ART MUSEUM, Tokyo (JP)
  • October 12, 2009 to January 17, 2010: So Sorry , House of Art in Munich.
  • March 19, 2010 to September 20, 2010: Ai Weiwei - Barely Something , Museum DKM , Duisburg, curator: Roger M. Buergel
  • July 15, 2010 to October 30, 2010: Ai Weiwei: Dropping the Urn , Museum of Contemporary Craft, Portland, OR (US)
  • October 2, 2010 to December 18, 2010: Ai Weiwei , Galerie Urs Meile, Lucerne (CH)
  • October 12, 2010 to May 2, 2011: Ai Weiwei - Sunflower Seeds 2010 , Tate Modern , London (GB)
  • May 2, 2011 to July 15, 2011: Circle of Animals / Zodiac Heads in New York City, Pulitzer Fountain, Grand Army Plaza at Central Park
  • May 12, 2011 to June 26, 2011 Somerset House , London
  • May 28, 2011 to August 21, 2011: Ai Weiwei - Interlacing , Fotomuseum Winterthur (CH)
  • July 1, 2011 to October 24, 2011: Ai Weiwei - in the DKM Collection , Museum DKM , Duisburg, curator: Dr. Heike Baare
  • July 16, 2011 to October 16, 2011: Exhibition on the artist's architectural projects, Kunsthaus Bregenz (A)
  • June 29, 2011 to August 15, 2011: Exhibition of photos Ai Weiwei took in New York in the 1980s and early 1990s, Asian Society New York, reported by dapd news agency on June 29, 2011 (online)
  • September 17, 2011 to February 5, 2012: Ai Weiwei - Interlacing , Kunsthaus Graz , Graz, Austria
  • December 4, 2013 to March 16, 2014: According to What? , Pérez Art Museum Miami, Florida, USA
  • April 3, 2014 to July 7, 2014: Evidence , Martin-Gropius-Bau , Berlin
  • September 19 to December 13, 2015: Ai Weiwei , Royal Academy of Arts , London
  • February 2016: Life jacket installation at the Konzerthaus on Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin
  • July 2016 the installation F Lotus by Ai Wei Wei from life jackets used by refugees was opened in the pond of Belvedere Palace , Vienna. Two of his lion figures are already in the garden, a paper figure is hanging in the room.
  • July 14, 2016 to November 20, 2016: Ai Weiwei, translocation - transformation , 21er Haus , Vienna
  • September 23, 2016 to January 22, 2017: Ai Weiwei. Libero , Palazzo Strozzi , Florence
  • September 24, 2016 to February 19, 2017: Ai Weiwei kneaded knowledge , Kunsthaus Graz
  • May 18, 2019 to September 1, 2019: Everything is art. Everything is politics , Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen (K 20 and K 21 ), Düsseldorf

Group exhibitions

  • October 12, 2002 to February 2, 2003: China - Tradition and Modernity , Ludwiggalerie Schloss Oberhausen , Oberhausen (D)
  • June 13, 2005 to October 16, 2005: Mahjong - Chinese contemporary art , Kunstmuseum Bern, Bern (CH)
  • May 20, 2006 to August 27, 2006: Serge Spitzer and Ai Weiwei , Museum of Modern Art (MMK), Frankfurt am Main. (D)
  • September 15, 2006 to February 25, 2007: CHINA NOW - The Fascination of Changing the World , Essl Museum - Contemporary Art, Klosterneuburg / Vienna. (AT)
  • June 16, 2007 to September 23, 2007: Ai Weiwei - Fairytale & AW - Template , documenta 12, Kassel (D)
  • March 30, 2007 to June 10, 2007: The Real Thing: Contemporary Art from China , Tate Liverpool, Liverpool (GB).
  • September 10, 2008 to January 4, 2009: Mahjong: Contemporary Chinese Art from the Sigg Collection , Berkeley Art Museum, Berkeley, CA (US).
  • September 1, 2010 to October 10, 2010: Contemporary Chinese Photography , Oldenburger Kunstverein, Oldenburg (D)
  • January 28, 2011 to May 9, 2011: Staging Action: Performance in Photography since 1960 , MoMA - The Museum of Modern Art, New York (US)
  • April 29, 2011 to May 1, 2011: Galerie Neugerriemschneider, Berlin (D), installation, within the Gallery Weekend s Berlin 2011 (D)
  • June 19, 2011 to October 30, 2011: Ai Weiwei and Serge Spitzer, MMK 1991–2011. 20 Years of the Present , Museum of Modern Art, Main Customs Office and Main-Tor-Areal, Frankfurt am Main (D)
  • October 31, 2011 to April 9, 2012: The art of slowing down. Movement and rest in art , Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg (D)
  • April 12, 2013 to June 30, 2013: FREEDOM! With Ai Weiwei Nedko Solakov , CAMP, Artur Żmijewski , Bouchra Khalili , Lars Ø Ramberg, Klara Liden, Johanna Billing, Alexander Apóstol, Haejun Jo, Nikolaj Bendix Skyum Larsen, Kunstpalais , Erlangen 2013
  • June 22, 2013 to October 6, 2013: From the Enlightenment , EMSCHERKUNST. 2013 , Ruhr area (D)

Permanent exhibitions and works in public museums and collections

  • Courtesy Galerie Urs Meile, Beijing - Lucerne.
    • “Coca Cola Vase”, 2006, a vase from the Neolithic Age (5000–3000 BC) with a red Coca-Cola logo
  • Museum DKM, Duisburg:
    • Colored Vases , 2006, in DU since 2008, 39 Neolithic vases (2,800 BC) immersed in bright colors

Ai Weiwei covered 39 Neolithic clay vases with colorful industrial paint. All clay vases are between 5000 and 10000 years old. Each vase has a peculiar shape. Ai Weiwei dips the clay vases in pots with different industrial colors. Then he turns the clay vases over and lets the industrial paint flow naturally along the body of the clay vases. Then he lays the flat opening of the vases down on the floor until they are all dry.

  • Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn , 1995, in DU since 2010, b / w prints

Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn was created by Ai Weiwei around 1995. It consists of three large-format photos approximately 180 cm high and 162 cm wide. In these photos, Ai Weiwei is standing in front of a wall, dropping an old vase from the Han Dynasty on the floor and shattering it. At the same time, one of his friends captured this process of destruction photographically. In the first photo, Ai Weiwei is holding the neck of the vase with his right hand and his left hand is holding the bottom of the vase. His gaze looks thoughtful and is focused on the viewer. In the second photo, Ai Weiwei lets the old vase fall freely on the floor. His left palm is spread out and facing up. The position of the right hand is lower than his left hand and the palm is pointed towards the floor. The position of the falling vase is in front of the artist's knee. In the third photo the vase has already smashed on the floor. The broken pieces of the vase lie around the artist's foot. The position of the two hands is almost at the same height. From the first photo to the third photo, Ai Weiwei's gaze is always on the viewer.

  • Fairytale , in DU since 2008, 8 chairs from the Qing dynasty, a contribution to documenta 12_ Fairytale - 1001 Chairs, 2007
  • 4851_Sichuan , 2010, since 2010 in DU, video, Sichuan namelist with musical score by Zuoxiao Zuzhou, 1hr 27 min looped video.

"Hoher Dachstein" project

In 2010 Ai Weiwei erected a four-ton rock on the Dachstein in Styria. He wants to commemorate the earthquake in Sichuan in 2008, in which several thousand schoolchildren were killed, and to address the area of ​​tension between humans and nature. On the other hand, the Alpine Association raised serious allegations for reasons of environmental protection.

Other engagements

In 2011, Ai Weiwei sat on a jury consisting of renowned public figures who were involved in the selection of the universal logo for human rights . In an interview with Tagesspiegel , he spoke out in favor of supporting the Fridays for Future protests .

criticism

In 2016, at a photo shoot for India Today newspaper, Ai Weiwei recreated a picture of the body of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi washed up on the beach in Bodrum . Critics then accused him of exploiting the boy's fate for his own artistic success. In 2020, in an interview with the Berliner Zeitung , he justified his departure from the Berlin UdK with the impossibility of teaching German art students. They are lazy, do not do their homework and still demand top marks. Ai Weiwei's former students then spoke up. He did not look after her adequately and hardly knew her.

Prizes and awards

The Citizen Prize Das Glas der Vernunft (The Glass of Reason) , donated by Kassel citizens, went to Ai Weiwei in 2010. The laudation was given by the director of the Kunsthalle Düsseldorf, Gregor Jansen . The prize “has been awarded since 1991 to politicians, artists and scientists who have made a contribution to enlightenment, reason and tolerance. It is endowed with 10,000 euros. "

On November 28, 2010, an asteroid in the main outer belt was named after him: (83598) Aiweiwei .

In 2011 he was made an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Arts (Hon. RA).

On September 15, 2017, Ai Weiwei received the Hrant Dink Foundation Award.

On November 16, 2017, he received the Bambi in the “Courage” category because he fought against oppression and censorship with his works.

Publications

  • Ai Weiwei. Works 2004-2007. Illustrated book. JRP Ringier , Zurich 2008, ISBN 978-3-905829-27-3 (in English)
  • Mark Siemons, Ed .: So Sorry. Catalog for the exhibition at the Haus der Kunst in Munich, Prestel Verlag, Munich 2009, ISBN 3-7913-5014-5
  • Ai Weiwei: Barely Something _ 4851 . Edited by DKM Foundation, Duisburg, text: Ai Weiwei, German / English, ISBN 3-9810500-9-6 (the subject of the brochure is the earthquake in Sichuan and the several thousand dead schoolchildren who died due to construction defects in school buildings probably caused by corruption).
  • Ai Weiwei - Barely Something , edited by Stiftung DKM and Roger M. Buergel, (German / English) Duisburg 2010, ISBN 3-9810500-8-8 , (the first book in German that deals only with the artistic work of Ai employed).
  • Ai Weiwei. Architecture. Edited by Caroline Klein. Daab Media, Cologne 2010, ISBN 3-942597-01-2
  • dsb .: Cishi-cidi. Time & Place Guanxi Normal UP , Nanning 2010 ISBN 7-5633-9773-6 . Illustrated book, with Chinese abbreviations
  • Ai Weiwei - Interlacing , eds. Urs Stahel and Daniela Jansen, Fotomuseum Winterthur and Steidl, Göttingen 2011, ISBN 978-3-86930-377-2
  • Art and cultural policy in China. A conversation between Ai Weiwei, Uli Sigg and Yung Ho Chang. Head of Peter Pakesch. Series: Art and Architecture in Discussion - Art and Architecture in Discussion. Springer, Vienna 2009, ISBN 3-211-89240-0 .
  • Ai Weiwei: Evidence . Prestel, Munich 2014, ISBN 978-3-7913-5391-3 .
  • Special issue Ai Weiwei. Du (magazine) # 817, Zurich 2011 (June) ISBN 3-905931-09-5
  • Special issue Ai Weiwei. Zs. Monoculture # 22. Edited by Mathieu Wellner. Rabenau, Berlin 2010 ISSN  1861-7085
  • Ai Weiwei - Manifesto without borders. course book.edition. Hamburg 2019. ISBN 978-3961960507

literature

See also

Web links

Commons : Ai Weiwei  - collection of images, videos and audio files
Wikiquote: Ai Weiwei  - Quotes

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Searching for missing persons in Chinese. At: kurier.at , accessed on April 1, 2012.
  2. ↑ Alexandra A. Seno: Sunflower Seeds, and the Other Ai. At: blogs.wsj.com , October 13, 2010, accessed January 22, 2020 ( Wall Street Journal blog ).
  3. ↑ Bei Ling : The naked citizen Ai Weiwei. In: faz.net . May 14, 2011, accessed February 22, 2020 .
  4. ↑ Belinda Luscombe: 7 Questions With Ai Weiwei. In: Time . October 12, 2017, accessed February 22, 2020 .
  5. ^ Edward Wong: Chinese Dissident Artist Ends Yearlong Probation. In: The New York Times. June 21, 2012, accessed on February 5, 2015 (English): "(...) and the bigamy accusation refers to his 3-year-old son from an extramarital relationship."
  6. ↑ Andreas Borcholte: Ai Weiwei as director: At the weekend, Berlin will be remote-controlled from Beijing. In: Spiegel Online. February 5, 2015, accessed on February 5, 2015 : "(...) his six-year-old son Lao, who has been living in Berlin for half a year with his mother Wang Fen, a former partner of Ais."
  7. ↑ a b c Kunstsammlung NRW: Ai Weiwei , accessed on August 13, 2019
  8. ↑ In an interview with the news magazine Spiegel (issue 34/2009), Ai Weiwei reports on arrests and assault by the Chinese police.
  9. ↑ Ai Weiwei makes serious allegations against Beijing. Southgerman newspaper. September 16, 2009.
  10. ↑ Der Tagesspiegel : China: Ai Weiwei's studio to be demolished , November 4, 2010.
  11. ^ Till Fähnders: Ai Weiwei under house arrest on: FAZ.NET, November 5, 2010 and Süddeutsche Zeitung : Ai Weiwei under house arrest , November 5, 2010.
  12. ↑ cit. According to: Chinese dissident Ai Weiwei calls the government “inhuman” ( memento from February 19, 2013 in the web archive archive.today ), on: Liechtensteiner Vaterland online November 7, 2010 and ARD, Tagesschau 12.00, November 7, 2010, based on a DPA report .
  13. ^ Jonny Erling: China harassed artist Ai Weiwei. In: Rheinische Post, November 12, 2010, Ders .: updated online source .
  14. ^ Nobel Prize Ceremony - China refuses to allow regime critics to leave the country , on: faz.net, December 3, 2010
  15. ↑ Ai Weiwei's studio torn down in: Spiegel Online from January 12, 2011
  16. ↑ Photo recordings of the studio on Google.com
  17. ↑ Photos of the destruction of the studio on google.com
  18. ^ Ai Weiwei becomes Berliner ( Memento from September 3, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) in: Berliner Zeitung from March 28, 2011
  19. ↑ What happens to Ai Weiwei? in: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung of April 3, 2011
  20. ↑ China's art star is losing its protective shield , Der Spiegel, accessed April 4, 2011.
  21. ↑ Ai Weiwei: Investigations into «economic crimes» ( memento of April 10, 2011 in the Internet Archive ), sueddeutsche.de, accessed on April 7, 2011.
  22. ^ Beijing National Museum. Spectacle and debacle in the world's largest museum , on: ZEIT-online, April 2, 2011
  23. ^ Art and kowtowing. Enlightenment wanted in China. On: focus.de, April 14, 2011
  24. ↑ Martina Schulte: Ai Weiwei network reactions to arrest ( memento from July 18, 2012 in the web archive archive.today ), Deutschlandradio Wissen from April 6, 2011
  25. ^ Bernhard Bartsch: Ai Weiwei. Beijing launches character assassination campaign . Kölner Stadtanzeiger, ksta.de, April 18, 2011
  26. ↑ Andreas Landwehr , Katja Schmidt: Where is Ai Weiwei? tagblatt.de, April 18, 2011
  27. ^ Mathias Bölinger: Ai Weiwei becomes a professor in Berlin . Deutsche Welle.de, April 20, 2011
  28. ^ Johnny Erling: Arrested artist. How Ai Weiwei's sister experiences the difficult times. , on: Berliner Morgenpost online, April 22, 2011
  29. ↑ Release Ai Weiwei . On: taz.online, April 23, 2011
  30. ^ Berliner Appell ( Memento from May 29, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) berlinerappell-freeaiweiwei.com, accessed on May 13, 2011
  31. ↑ Didier Burkhalter expresses concern about Ai Weiwei , on: NZZ.online, April 26, 2011
  32. ↑ Ai Weiwei. About freedom and cowardice in culture , on: zeit.online, April 27, 2011
  33. ↑ Carsten Volkery: Ai Weiwei exhibitions. Boom of the forbidden , on: spiegel.online, May 12, 2011
  34. ↑ human rights. Ai Weiwei case "burdens" relations with China , on: focus.de, May 19, 2011 u. in various other media
  35. ↑ Ai Weiwei. China criticizes German media , on: Frankfurter Rundschau (fr.online), May 10, 2011
  36. ↑ Human rights activist. China defends Ai Weiwei's arrest , on Handelsblatt.com, May 14, 2011
  37. ^ Esther Felden: First visit for Ai Weiwei , (conversation with human rights lawyer Liu Xiaoyuan), on: deutsche welle.world, May 16, 2011
  38. ↑ Western and Russian media reports on May 16, 2011, e.g. B. Jutta Lietsch: Arrested artist. Wife was able to meet him briefly on: taz.online, May 16, 2011
  39. ↑ various western media reports, e.g. B. Jutta Lietsch: Ai Weiwei is said to be a tax evader , on: die presse online, May 22, 2011; Print edition on May 23, 2011
  40. ↑ various reports on the release, e.g. B. After release from prison. China is keeping Ai Weiwei in-house , on sueddeutsche.de, June 23, 2011, accessed on July 3, 2011
  41. ^ Artist released from custody: Ai Weiwei released again ( memento from June 24, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) , at tagesschau.de, June 22, 2011 (accessed June 22, 2011).
  42. ↑ Interview: The artist and dissident breaks his requirement not to speak to the press. In: Deutschlandfunk (full text and audio), reporter: Silke Ballweg. December 16, 2011, accessed December 18, 2011 .
  43. ^ Stefan Kuzmany: Ai Weiwei. Freedom for China's number one prisoner , on: spiegel.online June 22, 2011
  44. ↑ China. Artist Ai Weiwei free on bail , on: faz.net June 22, 2011
  45. ↑ Jonny Erling: Strict conditions for Ai Weiwei . In: Rheinische Post June 25, 2011
  46. ^ Ai Weiwei accepts membership in the Berlin Academy , from: NZZ Online, July 7, 2011
  47. ↑ Art. Ai Weiwei accepts guest professorship in Berlin on: zeit-online July 13, 2011
  48. ↑ Ruth Kirchner: China warns against interference in the Ai Weiwei case. In: rbb, ARD-Studio Beijing. April 7, 2011, archived from the original on July 23, 2011 ; Retrieved April 8, 2011 .
  49. ↑ Critic of the regime. China accuses Ai Weiwei of pornography on: zeit-online November 18, 2011
  50. ↑ Chinese judicial system. Police prevent Ai Weiwei from taking part in the process , on: Süddeutsche online June 20, 2012
  51. ↑ China: war of nerves against Ai Weiwei . The press online, June 21, 2012 and human rights. Ai Weiwei sees himself in the fight against "big machines" . Chinese artist and dissident calls for free travel abroad . The press online, June 26, 2012
  52. ↑ Ai Weiwei is subject to China's judiciary in tax dispute . Spiegel online, July 20, 2012
  53. ↑ "It's a shame." The Chinese dissident Ai Weiwei considers Mo Yan's Nobel Prize for Literature to be a serious mistake. Ai Weiwei in conversation with Silke Ballweg. Deutschlandradio, December 4th, 2012
  54. ↑ China artist Ai Weiwei says passport returned after four years. In: SCMP. July 22, 2015, accessed July 22, 2015 .
  55. ↑ http://orf.at/#/stories/2302427/ Ai Weiwei's studio in Beijing apparently tapped, orf.at, October 5, 2015, accessed October 5, 2015.
  56. ^ Ai Weiwei introduces himself in Berlin , Berliner Zeitung, November 1, 2015
  57. ↑ "Berlin is the most democratic city in Europe". The world. August 9, 2019, accessed August 10, 2019.
  58. ↑ Farewell to Germany: Ai Weiwei moves to Cambridge , Spiegel Online , 23 August 2019
  59. ^ A b Christiane Peitz: "Nazism exists in everyday German life". The daily mirror. January 21, 2020.
  60. ↑ Susanne Messmer: "Germany has made an effort". The daily newspaper. September 3, 2019, accessed on January 22, 2020 (interview).
  61. ↑ Benedict Neff : Ai Weiwei and the high art of being offended. The New Zurich Times. August 14, 2019, accessed January 22, 2020.
  62. ↑ Capitalism and 'Culturecide' . The New York Times. January 13, 2020 (English).
  63. ^ Ai Weiwei on his new life in Britain: 'People are at least polite. In Germany, they weren't . The Guardian. January 21, 2020 (English).
  64. ^ The Guardian : Why I'll stay away from the opening ceremony of the Olympics , August 7, 2008.
  65. ↑ Film review: Resistance by profession. Documentation. The artist Ai Weiwei. Rheinische Post June 16, 2012, Ai Weiwei - Film. When art calls for change . Time online June 14, 2012
  66. ↑ Venezia 74 ( memento of July 30, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) at labiennale.org (accessed on July 27, 2017).
  67. ↑ Venice: Ai Weiwei with a documentary in the race for the Golden Lion at dw.com, July 27, 2017 (accessed on July 27, 2017).
  68. ^ Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung : Destruction of Art: The Gift of the Weather Gods ( Memento from October 8, 2014 in the Internet Archive ), June 21, 2007
  69. ^ Museum of Modern Art Frankfurt am Main
  70. ^ Ai Weiwei's first retrospective failed . Deutsche Welle, February 15, 2011
  71. ^ The big hug in: Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung of April 6, 2014, page 41
  72. ↑ http://www.dw.com/de/ausstellung-ai-weiwei-good-fences-make-good-neighbors-ausstellung-new-york/a-40901602
  73. ↑ He only hears music when it is loud. In: FAZ of May 27, 2013, page 30.
  74. ↑ - ( Memento from April 7, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
  75. ↑ That's why the cops break open the door in FAZ of June 21, 2013, page 35
  76. ^ House of Art: Ai Weiwei ( Memento from July 13, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
  77. ↑ Exhibition review : Ai Weiwei and the superlatives of art ( Memento from May 27, 2014 in the Internet Archive ), online magazine of the German-Chinese cultural network, October 2009
  78. ^ Kunsthaus Bregenz. Solidarity campaigns for Ai Weiwei . Exhibition on the artist's architectural projects as planned from July 16, on: standard.at, June 7, 2011
  79. ↑ Stuttgarter Zeitung, Stuttgart, Germany: artist Ai Weiwei: Life jackets remind of refugees - Stuttgarter Zeitung. In: stuttgarter-zeitung.de. Retrieved February 15, 2016 (German).
  80. ↑ http://wien.orf.at/news/stories/2784594/ Floating memorial in front of the Belvedere, July 9, 2016, accessed July 9, 2016.
  81. ↑ Running till 22 January 2017, Palazzo Strozzi in Florence presents Italy's first major retrospective dedicated to one of the world's most celebrated and influential contemporary artists, Ai Weiwei. ( Memento of July 2, 2017 in the Internet Archive ), on palazzostrozzi.org, accessed on January 5, 2017
  82. ↑ Ai Weiwei. Libero , Imagine (images for the exhibition) ( Memento from January 5, 2017 in the Internet Archive ), on palazzostrozzi.org, accessed on January 5, 2017
  83. ^ Ai Weiwei at the Kunsthaus Graz: "Kneaded Knowledge"
  84. ^ Ai Weiwei exhibition in Düsseldorf , article from May 17, 2019 in the portal www1.wdr.de ( WDR 3 )
  85. ↑ Politically shaped art exhibition "Life Cycle" , video from May 16, 2019 in the portal faz.net ( Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung )
  86. ↑ Ai Weiwei's installation at the Gallery Weekend. Fragile goods made by human hands , on: Tagesspiegel.de, April 28, 2011. The exhibition has to take place in the absence of Ai Weiwei due to the imprisonment of the artist, contrary to planned.
  87. ↑ China announces the number of dead earthquake children
  88. ↑ Ai Weiwei's artificial rock, received in Standard from June 14, 2010, accessed on November 6, 2010.
  89. ^ Dachstein rock by the artist Ai Weiwei at the summit ( memento from July 12, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) in the Kleine Zeitung , July 9, 2010, accessed on June 28, 2016
  90. ↑ Alpine Association against Ai Weiwei's “Staging” of the Dachstein in the Standard from June 22, 2010, accessed on November 7, 2010.
  91. ↑ The jury  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / humanrightslogo.net  
  92. ^ Annette Kögel: Ai Weiwei in Berlin. “The student protest must become an international association”. In: Der Tagesspiegel. January 31, 2019, accessed April 11, 2019 .
  93. ↑ I am Aylan Kurdi. Retrieved July 15, 2019 .
  94. ↑ Berliner Zeitung: "Berlin is the ugliest, most boring city there is". Accessed April 9, 2020 (German).
  95. ↑ "He didn't know us": UdK students comment on Ai Weiwei's allegations. Retrieved April 9, 2020 .
  96. ^ Glass of Reason - Kassel Citizen Prize to Ai Weiwei , hr -online.de, December 9, 2009, as a link no longer online.
  97. ↑ Press release of the Royal Academy of Arts on the awarding of honorary membership to Ai Weiwei ( Memento of May 18, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 131 kB), accessed on April 10, 2013
  98. ↑ Award from the Hrant Dink Foundation on www.hrantdinkodulu.org
personal data
SURNAME Ai, Weiwei
ALTERNATIVE NAMES 艾 未 未; Ài, Wèiwèi
BRIEF DESCRIPTION chinese concept artist
DATE OF BIRTH August 28, 1957
PLACE OF BIRTH Beijing