Friday, October 21, 2011

Ai Waiwei in New York – Photographs

The ARCOTEL Velvet is located in the vital heart of Berlin in Oranienburger Street. It is just a few minutes away on foot from a vibrant art and culture scene. Today we recommend a special photography exhibition in Martin Gropius Bau.

Martin Gropius Bau is exhibiting - for the first time in Germany - over 220 photographs from between 1983 and 1993 that were taken In New York City by the Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. During this time Ai took over 10,000 photos which he carefully sorted in order to create an exhibition. Ai was born in 1957. His long stay in the USA has had a decisive influence on his artistic career. His father, Ai Qing, was a famous author in China. Children throughout China memorized his poems at school. Only when his father was on his death bed, did Ai decide to leave New York and return to China.

Ai lived in New York City in a small apartment in the East Village district. As an active member of the Chinese artistic community and the intellectual community of the avant-garde scene of the district during the 80s he saw New York as a place of liberation. Even after the death of Mao Tse-tung in 1976, rigid conceptions held sway in China regarding the nature and purpose of art.
Ai Wai used his camera to capture life in New York during the 1980s. He took unique photos with the perspective of a true artist that portray this artistically and politically exciting period.

Today Ai Weiwei is the most renowned Chinese artist of the present. In New York he was a friend of Allen Ginsberg. Many of the most recognized artists in China today visited him at that time in New York. Ai photographed them.


Hours of operation:
Wednesday to Monday 10 am. to 8 pm., closed on Tuesdays
Open on the Tuesday after Christmas (27.12). Closed on 24.12. and 31.12.

© Ai Weiwei; Courtesy of Three Shadows Photography Art Center

1 comments:

John bot said...

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