This weekend I went to see the exhibit of Ai Weiwei’s work called “According to What?” that is currently at the Hirshhorn, part of the Smithsonian. Like I would imagine many people, I was somewhat familiar with him as a Chinese activist, but I had never actually seen any of his work. The exhibit features sculptures and photographs, but I found the sculptures to be the most interesting. I don’t presume to know almost anything about art, especially modern art. I like some things. I don’t like other things. I simply don’t get or understand many things. I am not sure I understand much of Ai Weiwei’s work, but much of it did make me think, which I think is part of what he wants.
Ai Weiwei’s Light Cube
Possibly the biggest sculpture at the exhibit is Light Cube. It is this huge cube with amber colored beads or crystals on the outside and lights inside. I really don’t know what it is supposed to represent, but it is really cool to look at.
Ai Weiwei’s Straight
Another large sculpture is Straight. It is made of 38 tons of rebar recovered from collapsed schools in Sichuan, China after the 2008 earthquake. The rebar was evidently carefully straightened after it was recovered. Straightening rebar is no easy feat. Photographs of the devastation are on a nearby wall. The sculpture certainly makes you think about the devastation of the earthquake. The way the rebar is placed makes me think of a fault line and topography, but I have no idea if, assuming that is what it is supposed to represent, it is an accurate representation of the Sichuan area. As an engineer, I love the use of rebar for art.
Ai Weiwei’s Bowl of Pearls
Bowl of Pearls is honestly one of the prettiest things I have ever seen. It is two huge bowls (as in about 3 feet in diameter) filled with freshwater pearls. It is absolutely gorgeous, and I have no idea what it means.
Ai Weiwei’s Bowl of Pearls, unclose view of pears.
The pearls are different shades and so pretty and luminous. Yes, I like pearls and shiny things. All I wanted to do was put my hands in there and run them through the pearls. It is like a giant zen sculpture or something.
Ai Weiwei’s Colored Vases
Ai Weiwei’s Colored Vases
Colored Vases causes me torn emotions. I love the colors, and the vases are a lovely shape. I think the way the paint applied and allowed to run down causes a really nice effect. However, the vases are really old, from the Han Dynasty. Dipping these ancient vases in industrial paint strikes me as defacement. Evidently that is what he is trying to do. These are supposed to be a statement about the Chinese state. The vases are innocent victims in his political statement. I am very curious just how many Han Dynasty urns there are lying around that people can buy or just find. Can you just go buy one? How did he get a hold of so many of them?
Ai Weiwei’s Moon Chest
Moon Chest consists of several hollow wooden boxes lined up on a curve. Each box has four circular openings that are precisely cut so that they mimic the stages of a lunar eclipse.
Ai Weiwei’s Moon Chest, view of the aperture
The fun thing about this sculpture is that it turns almost everyone into a child. Almost everyone who walked by it and between the different boxes got up close and looked through the apertures and moved around to see how the view changes.
Ai Weiwei’s Divina Proportione and F Size
Divina Proportione and F Size are two giant, wooden buckyballs. I immediately thought of Buckminsterfullerene, but then again, I am a geeky engineer. I suppose the less geeky inclined might see soccer balls or geodesic domes. I have no idea how well they would roll, but yes, I would like to see them roll.
Ai Weiwei’s Forever
This is why China is having such horrible air pollution. People are having to take cars because Ai Weiwei has taken all the nice bicycles and used them for art. I was thoroughly impressed with how well he fit them together. Parts of the bicycles were cut off, and then they could be joined with bolts and nuts. The joints are really well done. Yes, clearly I am engineer as I was analyzing the construction method of this sculpture not what it means.
All of the above photos were taken by me. The Hirshhorn allowed non-flash photography for personal purposes. A few of my photos are slightly fuzzy because they were taken in low light without a flash and thus needed a longer shutter speed. I make no money off this blog, thus my understanding is this falls under personal use.