13 January 2012
Review of Ai Weiwei: Dropping the Urn (Ceramic Works, 5000 BC – AD 2010) at the V&A Having just been named third in Time magazine’s Person of the Year, there has never been a better time for this exhibition of Ai Weiwei’s ceramics. Oddly, then, the V&A have given it a rather muted reception, neither advertising […]
Danish culture minister fails to meet Ai Weiwei during trip to China for fear of alienating Chinese government Danish culture minister Uffe Elbaek is under fire in his own country for neglecting to meet dissident artist Ai Weiwei during his recent trip to China – even though he met with several artists! The purpose of the […]
Spurious tax evasion charge against dissident artist Ai Weiwei to be reviewed Beijing tax authorities have agreed to review their ruling that Chinese artist/activist Ai Weiwei pay a multimillion dollar fine for ‘tax evasion’. The dissident artist reported that tax officials had informed him of this development last week, on Wednesday, by telephone. They told him […]
Topped by The Protester, Admiral William McRaven, and Kate Middleton Time magazine has named Ai Weiwei as third on its annual list of the good and the great, for 2011. It was topped by “The Protester”. In its annual review of the news round-up, the magazine has chosen the popular demonstrations, that defined 2011, as […]
Christmas is the perfect time to see what Art London has to offer – and all the better if it’s free! Here’s our pick of the must-see free shows for the holiday season The Big Ones: Ai Weiwei: Dropping the Urn @ V&A Featuring a selection of Ai Weiwei’s ceramic works and photographs made from […]
2011 has been a spectacular year for art exhibitions: here are ArtLyst’s Top 11 (top 10’s are so passé) in alphabetical order: 1) Tracey Emin: Love is What You Want @ Hayward Gallery This major survey of the work of one of the Britains best known names in Contemporary art was bold, well executed and daring. […]
As Ai Weiwei is accused of spreading pornography, his supporters tweet nude self-portraits in protest The government harassment of Ai Weiwei has taken a surprising new turn: first he was abducted, then he was handed a £1.5m tax bill; now he being accused of spreading pornography. Through it all, his supporters have stood by him, […]
The Chinese dissident artist has complied with the government and has made good a $1.3m (£820,000) bond in order to begin an appeal against a $2.5m tax bill. He said in a report to the BBC, “The tax bureau insisted I put the money into its bank account or face police prosecution”. Mr Ai’s representatives […]
$800,000 flown and thrown to Ai Weiwei to help him pay harassment tax bill Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei, has received more than $800,000 from thousands of supporters in a bid to help him pay a tax bill, widely recognised as government harassment. The Beijing tax bureau is demanding that Ai Weiwei pay 15 million […]
Dissident Artist; “They needed an excuse to take me away for 81 days” The Chinese authorities have given written notice to the dissident Artist Ai Weiwei to pay 15m yuan ($2.3m; £1.4m) within fifteen days. This relates to a case dating back several months which resulted in his abduction and jailing last spring. Mr Ai […]
Thought-provoking content challenges China’s intellectual dilemma A solo exhibition of the dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei opened at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum on Saturday. This is the start of a long run for the show which ends in January. Aptly titled, “Ai Weiwei Absent,” the exhibition highlights the predicament that Mr Ai must live […]
A major new project by Ai Weiwei debuts at Kunsthaus Bregenz, Austria A major new and innovative project by Ai Weiwei is currently on view as part of the exhibition Ai Weiwei – Art/Architecture, at the Kunsthaus Bregenz in Bregenz, Austria. In development for the past three years, Ai Weiwei House is a series […]
Ai Weiwei: Dropping the Urn (Ceramic Works, 5000 BC – AD 2010) Victoria & Albert Museum A new exhibition which displays work by Beijing artist Ai Weiwei opens at the Victoria & Albert Museum in South Kensington in early October. It examines one of the most prominent artists working in China today and features a […]
Ai Weiwei the dissident Chinese artist and government critic will leave China and move to Berlin. The iconic contemporary art personality has accepted the job of visiting lecturer,at the prestigious Berlin University of the Arts. He will take up the post as soon as his dispute with the government is resolved. Ai was recently released […]
Highly respected London gallery to open branch in Italy The Lisson Gallery has announce the launch of Lisson Gallery Milan, its first international space in its 44 year history.The gallery will launch in September 2011 with a group show curated by Lisson artist Ryan Gander.Lisson Gallery Milan will be headed by Director Annette Hofmann. Annette […]
China Exhibition Cancelled As Protest To Ai Weiwei Detention The Britain sculptor Anish Kapoor known for his monumental mirror finished public works has cancelled an upcoming exhibition at the National Museum of China, Beijing. The statement comes as a protest against the Chinese government’s detention of Ai Weiwei, the dissident artist and social critic who […]
Ai Weiwei the detained Chinese artist and activist has been made an honourary fellow of Britain’s Royal Academy of Art. The Danish painter Per Kirkeby was also given the accolade. In 2009, the gallery hosted a retrospective of the work of Kirkeby, one of Scandinavia’s most prominent contemporary artists, but it is Ai who is […]
The Chinese government has alleged that “Beijing Fake Cultural Development Ltd”, the company founded by the detained artist, Ai Weiwei, has evaded a large amount of tax. This is the reasoning or excuse behind the detention of the artist, a state media report has revealed. The agency has also charged the company with intentionally destroying […]
Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has been granted a visit by his wife and sister. The contact took place over the weekend, it is the first contact with the outside world to take place since his arrest more than 43 days ago. Mr Ai is said to be under investigation for suspected “economic crimes”.The artist’s wife […]
Ai Weiwei, the Chinese artist and political activist, has been missing and out of contact with his London gallery (The Lisson Gallery) since he was detained by authorities in Beijing while boarding a flight to Hong Kong on 3rd April. Two weeks ago, his New York installation was set up thanks to his studio assistants. […]
Despite being under house arrest, Ai Weiwei is about to launch the most important gallery exhibition of his career. Problem is he has been detained in China. So who will deliver the exhibition in the ultimate defiant gesture of civil obedience? The studio and supporters of Ai Weiwei are determined to proceed with his planned […]
British Artist Anish Kapoor (Born in Bombay in 1954) has been invited to exhibit in the monumental space around the Grand Palais in Paris. His work creates a great opportunity for the vast space. MONUMENTA, in its fourth edition offers 13.500 m2 in the Nave of the large palace. After the success of the first […]
Ai Weiwei’s who is still under arrest in China, was absent from the dedication of his sculpture installation in New York yesterday. The public art project “Circle of Animals: Zodiac Heads” was unveiled by New York’s Mayor Bloomberg. The installation is located in the Pulitzer Fountain and depicts the bronze heads of animals which correspond […]
Tate Modern announced today that it is deeply concerned about the current disappearance of the artist Ai Weiwei. The organisation places artists at the very centre of its activities. The Unilever Series, Sunflower Seeds is on display until 2 May. To mark its final weekend in the Turbine Hall, Tate Modern will be holding a […]
When Mr Ai was arrested on the 3 April while attempting to board a plane for Hong Kong several key factors were ignored by the Chinese authorities. These include the understanding that his profile is so high in the west that every move he makes is followed closely by the international media. Social networking has […]
The artist, Ai Weiwei,best known for his collaboration on the Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium in Beijing has been arrested in China again. Ai was arrested at the airport as he was going through immigration. The authorities separated him from the people accompanying him and turned off his mobile phone. It was also reported that eight […]
A large scale public sculpture by China’s most controversial artists, Ai Weiwei’s is to go on display in the courtyard of London’s Somerset House. He is best know in London for his massive Tate/ Unilever commission in the Turbine Hall last autumn. Weiwei filled the vast space with over 100 million porcelain sunflower seeds. Which […]
5 March 2011
The decision whether these are pure “coincidences” is left to the readers. It is just worth noting that even if they were pure coincidences, they would still demonstrate 1. the artist’s lack of knowledge of the history of art 2. the lack of originality of his artistic concepts. Left: Ai Weiwei’s “Fountain of Light”, 2007. […]
The Lisson Gallery in London have announced that they will be representing Ai Weiwei the Chinese dissident artist responsible for the artistic embellishments displayed on the ‘Birds Nest’ stadium at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. He was also this years Unilever commission winner where his ‘Sunflower Seeds’ project, filled the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern. […]
Artist Neville Gabie has been appointed by the ODE (Olympic Delivery Authority) as the Artist in residence for the 2012 Olympic park, in East London. The Authority will work alongside the park’s diverse communities in order to create a memorable cultural experience. A similar honour was awarded to Chinese dissident Artist, Ai Weiwei for the […]
The happiest person in London right now might just be the member of Tate Modern night-shift staff who dares wander alone in Ai Weiwei’s Sunflower Seeds, despite the health warnings. An already poignant symbol of globalisation was pretty much complete when access to the exhibit was barred due to pollution fears. The footfall of the […]
Two days after Ai Weiwei’s installation of sunflower seeds opened, in the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern staff took the decision to restrict access to it. The installation is fashioned out of of 100 million porcelain sunflower seeds, ten centimetres deep. The original concept was to allow people to walk over the bed, but after […]