57-year-old Ai Weiwei is a contemporary Chinese activist and artist, known for his controversial and unapologetic work. Ai pointedly targets corruption within the Chinese government, which many believe led to his contentious arrest in 2011. He is a major proponent for democracy and human rights in Shanghai.
I first discovered Ai Weiwei’s work as one discovers most important issues: on Netflix. Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry opened to critical acclaim at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, and opened the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival in Toronto later that year. The film follows Ai through his investigation of the 2008 Sichuan earthquakes, based on which he created my favourite piece, below.
Ai and his team gathered 150 tons of steel rebar, recovered from collapsed schools, and straightened the pieces to represent the government cover-up following the disaster.
Ai garnered international fame for his design of the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics, although Ai has since stated that he regrets the piece.
Beijing National Stadium or “Bird’s Nest”.
While Ai Weiwei’s political activism is remarkable, there is undeniable controversy surrounding the artist. Fortunately for us, Vancouverites have the opportunity (until November 30th) to view Ai’s early work and possibly to develop a better understanding of the artist’s passion for social justice.
The often overlooked Belkin Art Gallery (on the north end of Main Mall) has been privileged enough to house a collection from Ai Weiwei’s formative years in New York, aptly titled New York Photographs 1983-1993. Included are numerous self-portraits and photos that capture the numerous riots in New York in this decade. Some highlights include photos of Allen Ginsberg, one of the leading figures of counterculture in the 1960s and the writer of the iconic poem “Howl”, and a Bill Clinton sighting. These photos serve as a chronicle of Ai Weiwei’s time in a city that shaped and fascinated him.
The amount of photos is staggering and might be a bit overwhelming if you hope to take everything in. If you want to get the most out of the exhibit, I would suggest breaking it up into two parts. Otherwise, you risk some glazed-over eyes and a hazy memory of black and white New York streets (with occasional punctuating nudity).
It might be even better to really commit on a rainy afternoon and spend a few hours analyzing the images (but best to bring a warm drink and a cozy sweater). Either way, you’re sure to get a major dose of culture that will keep you afloat for weeks. Definitely a great shortcut if you want to seem artistic and worldly (and don’t we all?).
As UBC students, we get to see the exhibition for free, and I recommend that everyone take advantage of this chance before the month runs out. November can be crazy hectic, but Ai’s emotionally charged photographs can maybe offer some perspective. Papers and assignments can feel like the weight of the world at times, but seeing a first-hand account of New York in the 1980s reminded me of why most of us are in school in the first place: to figure out how to make our mark in the world and to bring about positive change.