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| All photos courtesy of Ai WeiWei Studio and Galerie max Hetzler |
Ai Weiwei will have his first solo exhibition in a Parisian
gallery this fall when Galerie Max Hetzler presents a range of recent works
that underline the Chinese artist’s use of traditional materials, such as wood,
porcelain, marble, and jade, and his ‘appropriation’
of traditional Chinese material and objects.
On view will be “Tree Trunk,” 2015, a continuation of his
Tree series that he started in 2009, assembling pieces of wood to form majestic
tortuous trees akin to abstract paintings. The four-meter-tall “Tree Trunk” is
made in cast iron that has been left to oxidize, giving it a particular red hue.
Also on view will be several works with political connotations, such as “Treasure Box,” 2014 — a large puzzle box made from rosewood that was built without any nails or screws and conceals a multitude of compartments that reference political discourse — and “Surveillance Camera,” 2010, which references the 15 cameras that have surrounded his studio in Beijing since 2009.
“Bicycle Basket with Flowers in Porcelain,” 2014, references the artist’s daily performance during his 600-day detention in 2011-2012, when he placed a bouquet of fresh flowers in the basket of his bicycle in front of his studio.
The exhibition will run from September 3 through October 8.