One week before this interview, Ai Weiwei’s studio in Beijing was bulldozed by Chinese authorities without any warning. Known for his brazen acts of dissent, Ai has not only challenged authoritarianism in China – the revolutionary polymath has also been extremely vocal about the worldwide refugee crisis. In a constant limbo state of exile, Ai has been living and working in Germany since getting his passport back in 2015. This fall, he will be taking over Los Angeles with three major exhibitions that he sees as one singular expression. At UTA Artist Space—which is housed in a 4,000-square-foot former diamond-tooling facility conceived and designed by Ai—the artist will be showing a series of sculptural works made from marble, including his iconic CCTV camera on a plinth, a Damoclean symbol of our post-capitalist era of state-sponsored surveillance. Central to the exhibition will be Humanity, a performative work and social media campaign that encourages visitors to the gallery to read a passage from Ai’s recent book on the refugee crisis—the footage will be compiled in a 30-minute video. On view until March 2019 at Marciano Art Foundation, Life Cycle will also explore the crisis of global displaced persons by drawing on the artist’s personal experiences and Chinese mythology. The show will include his famous work, Sunflower Seeds, which is comprised of over 49 tons of porcelain sunflower seeds carved and crafted by 1,600 artisans in Jingdezhen, in China’s Jiangxi province. Finally, at Jeffrey Deitch’s new Hollywood Gallery, Ai will present his installation of over 6,000 salvaged wooden stools from the Ming and Qing dynasties, which were gathered from villages across Northern China, thus serving as quotidian ciphers of cultural erasure and human existence. Read more.
Ai Weiwei's Life Cycle @ Marciano Art Foundation In Los Angeles
Life Cycle is Ai Weiwei’s first major institutional exhibition in Los Angeles and features the new and unseen work Life Cycle (2018) – a sculptural response to the global refugee crisis. The exhibition also presents iconic installations Sunflower Seeds (2010) and Spouts (2015) within the Foundation’s Theater Gallery. On view for the first time in the Black Box, Life Cycle (2018) references the artist’s 2017 monumental sculpture Law of the Journey, Ai’s response to the global refugee crisis, which used inflatable, black PVC rubber to depict the makeshift boats used to reach Europe. In this new iteration, Life Cycle depicts an inflatable boat through the technique used in traditional Chinese kite-making, exchanging the PVC rubber for bamboo. Life Cycle in on view through March 3 2019 at the Marciano Art Foundation 4357 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles. photographs by Oliver Maxwell Kupper
Maceo Paisley And Katie Malia Present Line Steppers @ Marciano Foundation
Line Steppers, a performance by Maceo Paisley and Katie Malia, unfolds within Albert Oehlen/Peppi Bottrop: Line Packers”. Paisley and Malia’s navigation of a social space in the gallery adds a layer of commentary on labor versus expression in the world of art and entertainment. Curated by Brian Getnick. photographs by Lani Trock
Highlights from Olafur Eliasson's Reality Projector Experience @ The Marciano Art Foundation
Reality Projector is a site-specific installation created for the foundation’s expansive first floor Theater Gallery. Eliasson has conceived of a seemingly simple, yet complex installation that uses projected light and the existing architecture of the space to create a dynamic shadow play. The artwork references the space’s former function as a theater as well as the history of filmmaking in the city by turning the entire space into an abstract, three-dimensional film. Eliasson’s exhibition offers visitors the opportunity to fully experience the magnificence of the space free of objects. Reality Projector will be on view beginning March 1, 2018 and will remain on view until August. photographs by Oliver Kupper
A Sneak Preview Of The Brand New Marciano Art Foundation At The Former Scottish Rite Masonic Temple In Los Angeles
The Marciano Art Foundation was established by Maurice and Paul Marciano - founders of guess - to grant the public access to the Marciano Art Collection through presentations of rotating, thematic exhibitions housed in a permanent exhibition space in Los Angeles. The museum opens on May 25, 2017. Click here to grab tickets. photographs by Oliver Maxwell Kupper