Renowned artist Ai Weiwei’s “According to What?” was a thought provoking exhibit of beauty and creativity held at the AGO for two months and allowed the audience to ask themselves questions about the freedom we take for granted. This lets them imagine a world where freedom of expression allows the government to shut down your only mode of communication. The exhibit discussed many themes and issues such as censorship, basic rights that we as young people deal with on a regular basis, the power of social media, and how one man could impact and inspire a nation.
Ai Weiwei was born in China under the Ming Dynasty. In 1966, Chairman Mao took over the country and destroyed much of the infrastructure from the Ming Dynasty. Under communist regime, his father was a fellow activist who was exiled from China with his family for re-education, a place the Chinese government sent people who
voiced their dismay about the government. Some could say activism ran in Ai’s blood. His parents were both artists and when Ai was in his 40’s, his father passed away and left him with a box made of rosewood constructed using ancient Chinese woodworking, leaving Ai his legacy.
Many of these ancient artisan traditions are featured in the exhibit alongside many modern ideologies. Ai mixes traditional Chinese materials with modern practices such as the piece, Chateau Laffite. Some say it’s his humour that allows him to wrap a shoe around a bottle of champagne or maybe it’s his way of attaching his heritage to Western/European culture. While in New York, Ai took inspiration from Dadaism and Surrealism in his New York Photograph’s. The photos depicted activism and social problems during the 60’s and 70’s.
The highlights of the exhibit were the names of the 2500 victims of the Sichuan Earthquake printed on the wall along with their birth date and class number. It was at this point that Ai’s activism took a more proactive approach with the help of fellow activists, as well as his blog. Ai began a citizen’s investigation into the victims of the school children affected by the Earthquake. The Chinese government got wind of this investigation and charged him with “inciting subversion of state power” for running citizens’ investigation into casualties of the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake” (Police Custody). The police held him in custody and hit him over the head (Brain Inflation) to prevent him from testifying against fellow activist Tan Zuoren and almost suffered a brain hemorrhage from flying with a concussion.
Without his blog and his passport since 2008, Ai now relies heavily on social media to communicate his political views and to communicate with fans and fellow activists. The piece “He Xie” refers online censorship and the restriction of individual freedom of expression in Chinese Society while the According What? exhibit continues to travel the world relaying Ai’s message and mission for social justice and freedom in China. In a way, he is mocking the Government and once again has managed to wriggle out of their attempt to control this renegade artist.
Ai Weiwei: According to What? runs until the 27th of October at the Art Gallery of Ontario, http://www.ago.net/aiweiwei
Renowned artist Ai Weiwei’s “According to What?” was a thought provoking exhibit of beauty and creativity held at the AGO for two months and allowed the audience to ask themselves questions about the freedom we take for granted. This lets them imagine a world where freedom of expression allows the government to shut down your only mode of communication. The exhibit discussed many themes and issues such as censorship, basic rights that we as young people deal with on a regular basis, the power of social media, and how one man could impact and inspire a nation.
Ai Weiwei was born in China under the Ming Dynasty. In 1966, Chairman Mao took over the country and destroyed much of the infrastructure from the Ming Dynasty. Under communist regime, his father was a fellow activist who was exiled from China with his family for re-education, a place the Chinese government sent people who
voiced their dismay about the government. Some could say activism ran in Ai’s blood. His parents were both artists and when Ai was in his 40’s, his father passed away and left him with a box made of rosewood constructed using ancient Chinese woodworking, leaving Ai his legacy.
Many of these ancient artisan traditions are featured in the exhibit alongside many modern ideologies. Ai mixes traditional Chinese materials with modern practices such as the piece, Chateau Laffite. Some say it’s his humour that allows him to wrap a shoe around a bottle of champagne or maybe it’s his way of attaching his heritage to Western/European culture. While in New York, Ai took inspiration from Dadaism and Surrealism in his New York Photograph’s. The photos depicted activism and social problems during the 60’s and 70’s.
The highlights of the exhibit were the names of the 2500 victims of the Sichuan Earthquake printed on the wall along with their birth date and class number. It was at this point that Ai’s activism took a more proactive approach with the help of fellow activists, as well as his blog. Ai began a citizen’s investigation into the victims of the school children affected by the Earthquake. The Chinese government got wind of this investigation and charged him with “inciting subversion of state power” for running citizens’ investigation into casualties of the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake” (Police Custody). The police held him in custody and hit him over the head (Brain Inflation) to prevent him from testifying against fellow activist Tan Zuoren and almost suffered a brain hemorrhage from flying with a concussion.
Without his blog and his passport since 2008, Ai now relies heavily on social media to communicate his political views and to communicate with fans and fellow activists. The piece “He Xie” refers online censorship and the restriction of individual freedom of expression in Chinese Society while the According What? exhibit continues to travel the world relaying Ai’s message and mission for social justice and freedom in China. In a way, he is mocking the Government and once again has managed to wriggle out of their attempt to control this renegade artist.
Ai Weiwei: According to What? runs until the 27th of October at the Art Gallery of Ontario, http://www.ago.net/aiweiwei
