Ai Wei Wei

Ai Weiwei (Beijing, 1957) is an artist, thinker and activist, whose artistic practice addresses pressing issues of our time. Due to his actions, he became one of the most prominent cultural figures of his generation and a symbol of freedom of expression, both in China and internationally. Activist and defender of human rights, Ai Weiwei He infuses his sculptures, photographs, and public artworks with his political conviction and personal poetry, often making use of recognizable and historical Chinese art forms in critical analyzes of a range of contemporary Chinese political and social issues. In his sculptural works, he often uses recovered materials - ancient ceramics and wood from destroyed temples - in a conceptual gesture that connects tradition with contemporary social concerns. It also employs sarcasm, juxtaposition and repetition to reinvigorate the potency and symbolism of traditional images and reshape the familiar with minimal means. Writer and curator, Ai Weiwei extends his practice across disciplines and through social media to communicate with audiences and engage with other artists on large-scale projects. Ai Weiwei was arrested by Chinese authorities in April 2011 and held incommunicado for three months. After his release, he was banned from traveling abroad, giving public speeches, and was subjected to continuous government surveillance. Ai Weiwei's position as provocateur and dissident artist informs the tenor and reception of much of his recent work. Ai Weiwei received an honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Politics and Social Sciences at Ghent University, Belgium (2010), as well as many awards, including the Skowhegan Medal (2011) and the Chinese Contemporary Art Prize (2008). His work has appeared in major exhibitions at Kunsthaus Bregenz (2011); Victoria & Albert Museum, London (2011); Asia Society Museum, New York (2011); Tate Modern, London (2010); São Paulo Biennial (2010); Haus der Kunst, Munich (2009); Mori Art Museum, Tokyo (2009); and Documenta XII (2007). Ai Weiwei lives and works in Beijing, China. His artwork is held in the collections of several institutions, including the Center Pompidou, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Guggenheim Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Tate, among others. His work sells for millions of dollars at auction, but given the diversity of his practice, many of his pieces sell for four or five figures on the secondary market.