Although still recovering from the effects of the Cultural Revolution, the arts are making a comeback in China. One of China's most famous artists is Ali Weiwei. Weiwei is a contemporary Chinese artist known for his installations, but also his photography, film, architecture, and sculpture. Weiwei is very influential internationally. Art Review magazine named Weiwei number one in their annual Top 100 Power List in 2011.
Weiwei is an outspoken critic of the Chinese Communist Party and its stand of human rights. Previously seen as "untouchable, " he was detained in 2011 for two months with no official charges given.
Although Weiwei helped design the Olympic National Stadium, our favorite project was his installation at the Tate in 2010. Here are pics of his famous exhibit in which Wei Wei planned the installation of 10 tons of porcelain replica sunflower seeds that people could walk on like grains of sand. The seeds were hand molded, fired, and painted by a crew of ceramicists in Jingdezhen, China's most famous pottery town, by over 300 artists. The sunflowers held symbolic meaning in several ways including a comment on" mass consumption." In May, the Tate recently bought 8 million of these seeds for a permanent installation.
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Summer Scenester Scavenger Hunt
We are in week #3 of our Larryville scavenger hunt. How many Lawrence icons can you identify?
Guess them all for this week and win a tall boy at Frank's with our staff. The answers will be revealed on Friday.
See it here:
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