{"id":20891,"date":"2013-09-24T21:18:14","date_gmt":"2013-09-25T01:18:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artoronto.ca\/?p=20891"},"modified":"2013-10-04T20:11:27","modified_gmt":"2013-10-05T00:11:27","slug":"profanity-and-rebellion-ai-weiwei-at-ago","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/v2.artoronto.ca\/?p=20891","title":{"rendered":"Profanity and rebellion \/ Ai Weiwei at the AGO"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Ai Weiwei, Study of Perspective – Triananmen Square, <\/em>1995 – 2003, gelatin silver print, 38.9 x 59 cm. \u00a9 2013 Ai Weiwei<\/p>\n

Is profanity and rebellion enough to be deemed as the most important contemporary artist in today\u2019s generation? The art\u00a0industry seems to think so. However, there is definitely more than meets the eye\u00a0in Ai Weiwei\u2019s multi-media works. The AGO opened up their second floor to Ai\u00a0Weiwei, one of China\u2019s most prolific artists, on August 17, 2013, with a massive exhibition of his works spanning his entire career. Despite being on house arrest since 2011, Weiwei is able to remain engaged with society and create powerful thought-provoking pieces\u00a0that invite the viewer to interact with.<\/p>\n

There are many factors acting towards Weiwei\u2019s popularity. The primary factor\u00a0is his Mass Communication background and the way he frequents micro-blogging social media sites such as Twitter and his own blog. The AGO incorporates the theme of communication and open dialogue by having a feedback area in the middle of the exhibition. Videos are\u00a0submitted, and screened,\u00a0about freedom and what it means to live under suppression or to\u00a0be free. In addition\u00a0a whole wall is covered\u00a0with the long list of the thousands of students who\u00a0died at\u00a0the Sichuan earthquake and\u00a0citizens of Chinese origin say their names out loud, making it\u00a0more dramatic.\u00a0These scattered elements make the exhibition even more powerful by giving the voice back to the people instead of a sole dominant presence of the artist.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Installation view with Straight<\/em>, floor piece of ribar,\u00a02008 – 2012 and (in the background) the wall covered with the names of students who died at the Sichuan earthquake<\/p>\n

Another medium the AGO focuses on is photography as documentation and primary information. The exhibition titled According to What? <\/em>displays several photos from\u00a0Weiwei’s time in New York during the late 80s as well as behind-the-scenes images of the construction of The Birds Nest, <\/em>Beijing’s Olympic\u00a0Stadium for the 2008’s Olympic Games,\u00a0that Weiwei co-designed. The photos act well to flesh out Weiwei\u2019s argument and critical examination of China\u2019s policies\u00a0that aim to superficially portray itself as a global superpower while at the same time ignore domestic issues such as civil rights.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Images of the construction of The Birds Nest, <\/em>Beijing’s Olympic\u00a0Stadium,<\/em> 2005 – 2008<\/p>\n

The exhibition spans his life\u2019s work and interests giving Torontonians a chance to understand Weiwei fully. The AGO includes what is documented to be Weiwei\u2019s first sculpture from 1998 called Chateau Lafite<\/em> inspired by ready-mades by Duchamp and Warhol, as well as screening an excerpt of Never Sorry, <\/em>a powerful documentary and contextualised introduction\u00a0of the artist. While several of Weiwei\u2019s references are to Chinese culture and prehistories, he assumes no prior knowledge of the subject which makes his work easily accessible.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Installation view with Colored Vases<\/em>, \u00a02007 – 2010 in front of the triptych, Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn<\/em>, 1995\/2009<\/p>\n

Is Weiwei trying too hard or is he really just that provocative? On a Saturday morning when I entered the exhibition, it\u00a0was teeming with families, couples and all around art enthusiasts who\u00a0were fascinated by Weiwei\u2019s work, engaging with Straight, <\/em>a floor piece made of ribar to depict a crack in the earth.\u00a0Another favorite is\u00a0Moon Chest,<\/em> a huge installation, made of several huali wood cabinets with holes carved into the centre in such a way that when looking through them\u00a0it shows every stage of\u00a0the Moon.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Installation view with Moon Chest, 2008<\/p>\n

Weiwei’s power is not only in his profoundly captivating pieces but the educated and socialist stance\u00a0he takes, whether we\u00a0recognize it or not.<\/p>\n

Aliya Bhatia<\/p>\n

*The exhibition is open till October 27, 2013, Art Gallery of Ontario at 317 Dundas Street West, Toronto. Gallery Hours: Tue 10 – 5:30, Wed 10 – 8:30, Thu – Sun 10 – 5:30 p.m.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Aliya Bhatia<\/strong><\/p>\n

Is profanity and rebellion enough to be deemed as the most important contemporary artist in today\u2019s generation? The industry art seems to think so. However, there is definitely more than meets the eye in Ai Weiwei\u2019s multi-media works. <\/p>\n

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