Ai Weiwei: Making Sense

Justin McGuirk

ISBN 10: 1872005632 / ISBN 13: 9781872005638

Published by Design Museum, GB, 2023

About this Item

The first book to dive exclusively into Ai Weiwei's approach to design and collecting, shedding light on the value we ascribe to everyday objects. Artist, film-maker, architect, activist, collector - whatever mode Ai Weiwei is in, he is trying to tell us something about the state of the world. This book presents Ai's work as a commentary on design and what it reveals about our changing values. Confronted by the rapid pace of change in his country, Ai became fascinated by Chinese antiquities. His vast collections of historical artefacts, from Stone Age tools to broken teapot spouts, attest to the way the language of objects speaks across the ages. Is this a classic tale of technical progress, or have we lost crucial qualities with the march of time? Ai invites us to make sense of these objects as he explores the tensions between past and present, hand and machine, precious and worthless, construction and destruction.

Seller Inventory # LU-9781872005638

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Ai Weiwei: Making Sense
• Publisher: Design Museum, GB
• Publication Date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1872005632
• ISBN 13: 9781872005638
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: New
• Dimensions: 4W x 17H x 24D centimeters 4 centimeters width by 17 centimeters height by 24 centimeters depth
• Weight: 1000 grams

About this title

Synopsis

Ai Weiwei’s archaeological exploration of the histories and skills that have been ignored or erased, through objects from his personal collections

Known around the world for his powerful art and activism, Ai Weiwei (born 1957) does not differentiate between disciplines: his practice glides across art, architecture, design, film, collecting and curating. Richly illustrated with over 200 images, Ai Weiwei: Making Sense is the first major publication to present Ai’s work as a commentary on design and what it reveals about our changing values. It presents a selection of Ai’s collected objects, from ancient stone axe heads to porcelain teapot spouts, from Neolithic tools to modern mass-produced products, as well as new works created specifically for the Design Museum. These collections draw from the artist’s fascination with historical Chinese artifacts, placing their craftsmanship in dialogue with China’s more recent history of demolition and urban development. Also featured are essays by leading experts covering dominant themes in Ai’s work, such as craft, collecting and the urbanization and industrialization of China. It concludes with an interview between renowned British Israeli architect Eyal Weizman and Ai himself.