Ai Weiwei's experience and his work of art Literature Research Paper

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Ai Weiwei in Context
1. Background
By definition, art informs and is informed by identity. The works produced by an artist are not only representations of a gifted inspiration or, for that matter, admirable pieces showcased for consumption – and forgetness. Instead, art – and, by extension, an artist – is a product of complex political, economic, cultural and social dynamics in constant interplay. To understand an artist’s work, particularly one of international fame and recognition, is not, should not be, moreover, an exercise in exhibition shows, voiced political dissent or, for that matter, superficial fame. Typically, artists, particularly ones of international standing, are usually reduced into one or more frame of reference according to which such artists are presented, promoted and sold. There are, in fact, several examples, too many to merely refer to, about artists of genuine merit and who, due to commercial gains, political manipulation or sheer public indifference or lack of awareness, are reduced to an image sold to art galleries, political speaking platforms and, of course, nouveau riche art connoisseurs.
Of all artists of genuine merit, one, Ai Weiwei is, for current purposes, of central interest. This is justified by several reasons. First, Weiwei is an artist commercial gain, political manipulation and public apathy appear to offer an ideal example of – despite, or probably because of, his international status. Second, Weiwei, an activist and political dissident, is very
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frequently framed as such and less as an artist of genuine merit – beyond his Chinese nationality.
Third, Weiwei, in an extensive and diverse artistic activity spanning decades, appears to far
surpass his status as a genuine artist into a visionary whose artistic creations inspire not only
attitudinal change, as all art does, but, more important, disrupts established, conventional
boundaries in and beyond art. Fourth, Weiwei, fleeing political persecution, is art unto himself.
That is, whilst Weiwei’s work is essentially disruptive, his very life and positions reflect, in one
form or another, statements he makes in his art.
The hardly insightful biography and work portfolio is, accordingly, a matter of least interest in current essay. Indeed, characterizations as “activist,” “architect,” “curator,” “filmmaker,” and, of course “artist” are barely indicatory of, let alone insightful for, Weiwei as a unique creator of meaning informed by rich cultural contacts in early 21st century. Nor are descriptions or critical acclaim of his most famous works, e.g. Coca Cola Vase (1994) and Sunflower Seeds (2010) (“Ai Weiwei”), enough to uncover layers of meaning, hidden or unknown, by Weiwei in his different artistic statements and cultural encounters. True, some artistic contributions by Weiwei, e.g. synthetic installations and interactive works, are referred to. Yet, main concern is not on artistic expressions per se but on meanings and effects ensuing from cultural contacts Weiwei has developed over years. Thus, Weiwei’s influence, not art work per se, is of central concern in current essay. That is, in lieu of a fairly conventional approach as an international activist-artist, Weiwei is discussed in current essay as a significant, international influence inspired by multiple cultural, artistic and life experiences yet also inspiring for millions, art connoisseurs or not, to embrace change not just in a sense of political resistance,
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important as is, but, more important, in a sense of remaking meaning – and, by extension, life –
in a world lost in, for and by ideology-free understanding of art and life.
2. Influence
The influence Ai Weiwei exercises, or expected to exercise, on art and beyond cannot be overemphasized. In a good many exhibitions and speaking events, Weiwei is frequently reduced to a Chinese artist and a political activist. This is fairly documented and, more, shown across different platforms. Less documented, however, is influences, particularly cultural ones, Weiwei exercises, consciously or not, in different circles and beyond official, commercialized, branded platforms. Notably, Heinrichs points to integration of different forms of knowledge as an increasingly important area of interest in sustainability science. In an attempt to break from conventional, strict research unflagging focus on scientific argumentation, Weiwei, only one example of a long line of outstanding creative artists, offers a more holistic insights into human experiences, mediated by his universal cultural appeal, by avoiding scientific reductionism and by venturing into wider art-based research. This observation is particularly significant in numerous ways.
First, art is, by definition, holistic. The range of meanings viewers – and, as Heinrichs shows, researchers – can draw from works of art, including in Weiwei, not only to enrich existing repertoires of scientific investigation but, more important, to include views, art in current case, has long dismissed as subjective. The artistic expressions Weiwei offer are, accordingly, no longer subjective or dismissible based on unfounded claim of superior scientific prestige, but an alternative reality, or worldview, to a reductionist, current one. This is evident, for example, in how Weiwei, showcasing his works at multiple locations, addresses scientific questions such as
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of urban degradation as in Sunflower Seeds, not by examining scientific facts per se but, more important, by creating a subtext alternative to current dominant ones.
Second, Weiwei, in his anti-establishment position, is not a political activist per se but, more appropriately, a free, creative spirit inspiring, perhaps, millions increasingly wary of an official, establishment-skewed view of reality and life. In Coca Cola Vase, Weiwei is subverting a cliché perception of Chinese urn by incorporating Coca-Cola's iconic slogan. In so doing, Weiwei is, perhaps, insinuating at Official China’s manipulation of country’s long past and history to current political and commercial gains. This is, in one reading, a cross-cultural contact of a past, established and static, and a present, ever changing and increasingly disconnected to China’s original past. The cultural contact Weiwei brings in Coca Cola Vase is not necessarily one as would be in conventional understanding of “contact” as physical and immediate. Instead, Weiwei’s work, as in Coca Cola Vase, offers insights into enduring cultural contacts and encounters not so much combining physicalities of cultural encounters per se yet experiences of past and present informing one another.
Third, Weiwei, in his numerous nature-inspired works, offer yet another example, in addition to early millennium artists, shifting focus into more universal and climate-centered issues. The sunflower metaphor in Sunflower Seeds (2010) is, for instance, characterized as follows:
The symbol of the sunflower was ubiquitous during the Cultural Revolution in China in the 1960s and 1970s, and was often used as a visual metaphor for the country’s Communist leader Chairman Mao (1893–1976) and, more importantly perhaps, the whole population. In Sunflower Seeds Ai examines the complex exchanges between the
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one and the many, the individual and the masses, self and society. Far from being
industrially produced, the sunflower seeds are intricately and individually handcrafted,
prompting a closer look at the ‘Made in China’ phenomenon commonly associated with
cheap mass-produced goods. The myriad sunflower seeds – each unique yet apparently
the same – can be seen to evoke the quest for individuality in a rapidly transforming
society. (“Sunflower Seeds”)
Similarly, Weiwei is framed as follows:
Ai’s practice is increasingly driven by issues facing contemporary China, such as the exercise of autocratic power, the disappearance of Chinese cultural and material history, and concerns about human rights, hard labour and poverty. Sunflower Seeds explores the complexity of the Chinese individual’s relationship with society, the authorities and tradition. (“Sunflower Seeds”)
This view of Weiwei is fairly common in Western art world and political circles. Transcending current farmings and characterizations, Weiwei, constantly in a state of artistic reinvention, offers an alternative view of (Chinese) reality, a view, as Heinrichs shows, is apt to go beyond established norms and conventions of sustainable science.
Fourth, subverting established regimes of imagination has a substantial merit. Specifically, whilst standards, conventions ...