Ai Weiwei

Recent work of one of China's most important and outspoken contemporary artists is featured in this book. One of China's most controversial artists, Ai Weiwei is also one of the world's most prominent critics of the Chinese government. A critic of China's handling of such matters as the 2008 Olympic Games, and the tragedy of the 2008 earthquake, Ai Weiwei brings questions about tradition, history, modernity, and change to his works of sculpture, architecture, photography and his blog texts. This attractive volume includes images of Ai Weiwei's acclaimed Fairytale installation for the 2007 Documenta in Kassel, German, as well as illustrations of his furniture and woodwork, teapots and vases, video stills and his recent works for the exhibition at the Haus der Kunst in Munich. These include Remembering, an installation at the front facade at the Haus der Kunst with backpacks, which commemorates the Sichuan Earthquake and the thousands of children who died in their schools then. Other works are Soft Ground and Rooted Upon. In addition to illustrations of Ai Weiwei's three-dimensional work, there are numerous photographs, images of installations in situ, and blog entries and poems by the artist.