Essays on Ai Weiwei

Culture

Contemporary art is an art that offers current and fresh point of view and perspective, and usually utilize new techniques as well as new media. Current wave of contemporary Chinese art is because of negative influence of government and institute. There are many contributors in China who have played an effectual role in improving the condition of society and also condition of art world in China. Chinese culture’s landscape has been continuously shaped by search and achievement of power. However, in an effort to ensure maintenance of power, and getting control over Chinese contemporary art production after culture ...

Ai Weiwei and Zhang Xiaogang are Chinese contemporary artists. While both are leading conceptual artists in the country, they seek to evoke different messages using their art work. Ai Weiwei’s art is motivated by the need to inspire freedom and the expansion of individual space away from government and society. It is therefore the case that Ai Weiwei by virtue of eliciting such emotions practiced artistic activism. On the other hand, Zhang Xiaogang is respected in his own right. His art more or less seeks to evoke memories which he says serve as his greatest inspiration. He especially ...

“Weiwei, you know, we treat you like this not because you are a bad guy. It is just that you have too much influence on people” “Come to think who made me this influential. Read into the history of any hero; the hero does not become a hero, unless there is a monster”. Ai Weiwei has long gone beyond the definition of “Chinese artist”. Back in the 1980s, when he was a part of the “Starts” movement, he openly criticized the Chinese government. Because of his constant issues with authorities, Ai Weiwei balances the pressures to be both a ...

In the societal milieu of China, the resonating presence of the Internet and new age ICTs has come to weave the working class population together. Firstly, it needs to be comprehended that China is a country where the media is highly regulated by the state authorities. The political scenario in the country does not provide much space for subversive opinion-building or discussion that might come to thwart the state policies or perspectives. Also, the state authorities have a propagandist approach so as to garner the support of the general masses of the society. This is done to strengthen the ...

Ai Weiwei and Cai Guo-Qiang are both Chinese-born artists that are featured heavily in the international art world. Both have different messages and different approaches to their art, but each bring something uniquely Chinese to the art world. While both have different backgrounds and different artistic messages, each seeks to address problems that they perceive are associated with living in the Communist-controlled country of China. Ai Weiwei is arguably one of the most well-known of the Chinese dissenting artists. He was most recently in the news for his jail term as a result of his political and artistic representation ...