Happenings
A i W e i w e i E m b r ac e s t h e P o l i t i c a l Art News
By Melissa Eddy The “Evidence” from which the Ai Weiwei exhibition at the Martin-Gropius-Bauderives its name could be the displayed collection of hard drives, laptops and notebooks the Chinese authorities confiscated after arresting the artist in 2011 as he tried to board a plane. Or it could be the life-size replica of the cell where he was held under constant surveillance for 81 days following his detention. Or even the 6,000 wooden stools that fill the sunken atrium of the space, in a silent testimony to a lost way of life in the Chinese countryside. Mr. Ai’s solo exhibition, which opened here on Thursday and runs through July 7, is the largest show of his works to date. It reflects both the current social upheaval in China, as well as the artist’s own experiences with repression. Organizers said they encouraged Mr. Ai, who has 50
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long angered the Chinese authorities through his outspoken opinions about censorship and art, to highlight the political element of his works in the show. “He is always accused of being a political activist,” said Gereon Sievernich, the director of the Martin-Gropius-Bau, in a recent interview. Mr. Sievernich made several trips to China to meet with Mr. Ai, who has not been allowed to travel since his release. “We took that charge and stood it on its head and fully embraced the political,” he said. “That this is taking place in the Martin-Gropius-Bau, which is funded by the German state, is a German response to this political art and to the power of culture,” said Monika Grütters, Germany’s minister for culture, before the opening. She also stressed the importance of holding the exhibition in one of the country’s most HAPPENINGS
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