Ai Weiwei

 

Ai Weiwei once said, "I think I'm interested in this kind of activity, so-called artist, only because that's always dealing with new possibilities." His works definitely reflect this statement. The way he uses everyday objects in his pieces gives them a new meaning and function than they originally had.

The media Weiwei deals with include metals, wood, paint, and clay. He also employs a variety of different objects, such as bicycles, sunflower seeds, and backpacks in his works.

 

 

Even though each of Weiwei's pieces are strikingly different, each one has a common denominator: learning. For every project he works on, Weiwei wants to imbue some kind of learning experience in it. The way a space can be used is also of high importance to Weiwei and his pieces.

A lot of Weiwei's works are symbolic, often times possessing dual meanings. He uses average objects for many of his works, so looking on the surface, we perceive his works as the objects that make it up. Once we perceive the symbolic meanings of the objects, though, we begin to grasp the deeper meanings of his pieces.

 

 

Information provided by:

 

"Ai WeiWei." Art21. PBS, n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2014.