Life as Art - Ai Weiwei

I enjoyed Ai Weiwei's exhibition at the Royal Academy with Catherine last night. I saw his previous Sunflower Seeds at the Tate Modern and heard about his detention in China on the news, but had not really investigated his work any further.  I was unexpectedly moved by his pieces, which all have a lot of thought and meaning associated with them. One shocking room at first sight had an unusual rolling landscape of steel rods on the floor (150 tons of straightened rebar), which I was looking at when I realised the walls of the huge space had panels on them with small writing.  On closer inspection, the writing was a list of names - over 5000 names of children and students who had died in the Sichuan earthquake of 2008. This is tragic enough, but it forms a political statement because the steel rods are from the remains of buildings - collapsed schools - that weren't properly built to withstand earthquakes.  He incurred the wrath of the Chinese authorities who had tried to cover up the scale of the disaster.  He was detained for 81 days in 2011 - his thoughts about this are also represented in the exhibition as "S.A.C.R.E.D.".  We are invited to spy on him through half life size dioramas in 6 boxes as he was watched closely (and I mean very closely, not more than a few inches away) by 2 policemen at all times, even in the toilet and while sleeping.

I was amazed to see the chandelier (in the distance the top photo) up close - it was actually made from bicycles - the mundane made beautiful and unexpected.

He also has much to say on the freedom to move across borders.  Viewed from above, the bolted- together pieces of ancient temples form the outline shape of China, with Taiwan represented by some joined footstools.  We can't see the shape but are able to walk through it easily, unlike many who live there. 

Traditional craftsmanship, shapes, scale, repetition, unexpected materials (rare wood, marble, crystal, compressed tea) and the value we put on things are other themes.

As the artist said himself, "Life is art.  Art is life.  I never separate it".

See the Guardian review of the exhibition here.

https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/article/ai-weiwei-rules-for-life-and-art