More
- Classifieds
- Cars
- Deals
- Real Estate
- Rentals
- Photos
- Blogs

In the News

The art of Ai Weiwei

A collection of popular works of Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, who was arrested by Chinese police on Sunday, April 3, 2011

5 Seconds

00:00

00:00

"Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads," the first major public sculpture installation by contemporary Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, formally opened on May 4 at the historic Pulitzer Fountain in New York.

Stan Honda / AFP/Getty

The installation includes a dozen monumental bronze heads depicting the animals of the Chinese zodiac. Weiwei was not there for the opening. He has been missing since early last April when he was taken away by Chinese authorities.

The installation includes a dozen monumental bronze heads depicting the animals of the Chinese zodiac. Weiwei was not there for the opening. He has been missing since early last April when he was taken away by Chinese authorities.

Stan Honda / AFP/Getty

An animal head from 'Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads.'

An animal head from "Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads."

Stan Honda / AFP/Getty

The bronze heads — 10 feet tall on their pedestals, and 800 pounds — are oversize versions of the collection of bronze zodiac-animal heads looted by French and British troops from Beijing’s Old Summer Palace in 1860, during the Second Opium War.

The bronze heads — 10 feet tall on their pedestals, and 800 pounds — are oversize versions of the collection of bronze zodiac-animal heads looted by French and British troops from Beijing’s Old Summer Palace in 1860, during the Second Opium War.

Stan Honda / AFP/Getty

'Mei Le,' 2007.

"Mei Le," 2007.

/ Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Urs Meile, Beijing-Lucerne

'Forever,' 2003.

"Forever," 2003.

/ Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Urs Meile, Beijing-Lucerne

'Boomerang,' 2006, an installation at Queensland Art Gallery in Australia.

"Boomerang," 2006, an installation at Queensland Art Gallery in Australia.

/ Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Urs Meile, Beijing-Lucerne

'Kippe,' 2006. The work was created with iron wood from dismantled temples of the Qing Dynasty.

"Kippe," 2006. The work was created with iron wood from dismantled temples of the Qing Dynasty.

/ Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Urs Meile, Beijing-Lucerne

'Coca Cola,' 2010. The pottery is from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD).

"Coca Cola," 2010. The pottery is from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD).

/ Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Urs Meile, Beijing-Lucerne

Untitled (shoe and book), 1986. Shoe and book 43 x 24 x 16 centimeters. Private collection

Untitled (shoe and book), 1986. Shoe and book 43 x 24 x 16 centimeters. Private collection

/ Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Urs Meile, Beijing-Lucerne

'Table with Two Legs on the Wall,' 2009. The table is from Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

"Table with Two Legs on the Wall," 2009. The table is from Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

/ Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Urs Meile, Beijing-Lucerne

'Grapes,' 2008. The work is built from 17 stools from the Quing Dymasty (1644-1911).

"Grapes," 2008. The work is built from 17 stools from the Quing Dymasty (1644-1911).

/ Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Urs Meile, Beijing-Lucerne

'Flowers,' 2007.

"Flowers," 2007.

/ Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Urs Meile, Beijing-Lucerne

'Flowers,' 2007.

"Flowers," 2007.

/ Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Urs Meile, Beijing-Lucerne

'Pillar,' 2006. The installation at Austria's Kunsthaus Graz includes 16 porcelain pillars.

"Pillar," 2006. The installation at Austria's Kunsthaus Graz includes 16 porcelain pillars.

/ Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Urs Meile, Beijing-Lucerne

'Oil Spills,' 2006.

"Oil Spills," 2006.

/ Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Urs Meile, Beijing-Lucerne

Ai Weiwei: 'Template,' 2007. The work is made of 1,001 wooden doors and windows from destroyed Ming and Qing Dynasty houses (1368-1911).

Ai Weiwei: "Template," 2007. The work is made of 1,001 wooden doors and windows from destroyed Ming and Qing Dynasty houses (1368-1911).

/ Courtesy of the artist; Leister Foundation, Switzerland; Erlenmeyer Stiftung, Switzerland and Galerie Urs

Chinese contemporary artist Ai Weiwei speaks during an interview at his studio in Beijing on March 1, 2010.

Chinese contemporary artist Ai Weiwei speaks during an interview at his studio in Beijing on March 1, 2010.

GRACE LIANG / REUTERS

FEATURED PHOTO GALLERIES

TV presenter and conservationist Anneka Tanaka-Svenska wears a hat designed by Louis Mariette during the first day of Royal Ascot, in Berkshire, west of London, on June 18, 2013. The five-day meeting is one of the highlights of the horse racing calendar. Horse racing has been held at the famous Berkshire course since 1711 and tradition is a hallmark of the meeting. Top hats and tails remain compulsory in parts of the course while a daily procession of horse-drawn carriages brings the Queen to the course. AFP PHOTO / ADRIAN DENNISADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images

Photos of the day

Royal Ascot, protests in Brazil, Lego exhibition, flooding in India, Cheetah-Cub robot and more.

epa03749440 US actor Brad Pitt arrives on the red carpet for the New York Premiere of 'World War Z' in Times Square in New York, USA, 17 June 2013. EPA/JASON SZENES

The premiere of ‘World War Z’

The zombie flick starring Brad Pitt opens from Berlin to New York.

Two-year old male rat named Dyatlik wears a costume during a rodent exhibition in Minsk, Belarus, Saturday, June 15, 2013. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

Rodent exhibition, swimming with elephants, Mexico’s feline mayoral candidate and more.

Inmates walk at a high-security male prison camp outside Russia's Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk May 14, 2013. High-security male prison camp number 17 is intended to house male inmates who are serving a sentence for the first time, and have been convicted for serious crimes. Prisoners at the facility work in wood and metal processing shops, manufacture furniture, sew clothes and do other kinds of work. They can also take part in educational, sport and cultural programs. Picture taken May 14, 2013. REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin (RUSSIA - Tags: CRIME LAW SOCIETY) ATTENTION EDITORS: PICTURE 4 OF 29 FOR PACKAGE 'INSIDE SIBERIA'S PRISONS' SEARCH 'ILYA PRISON' FOR ALL IMAGES

Life in a Siberian prison

A look inside a high-security prison camp outside Krasnoyarsk, Russia

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 14: Johnathon Carrington, valedictorian at Dunbar High School, laughs with family and friends after his school's graduation ceremony at Howard University on Friday, June 14, 2013, in Washington, DC. Carrington, who grew up in Tyler House public-housing apartments and is graduating from one of DC's low-performing high schoolsy, where academic expectations are high. (Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

Johnathon’s journey

Johnathon Carrington graduated Friday as the valedictorian of his neighborhood school, Dunbar High, and is headed to Georgetown University. But Carrington, 17, is nervous, and so are...

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 18: Madonna attends the Dolce & Gabbana and The Cinema Society screening of the Epix World premiere of 'Madonna: The MDNA Tour' at The Paris Theatre on June 18, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Eye on entertainment

Madonna, Michael Buble, Barbara Streisand, Jackie Chan, Jerry Seinfeld, Estelle and other celebrities.

In this June 8, 2013 photo, youth compete in the Sao Carlos slum local soccer tournament in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The pitch is just dirt and the incandescent lights aren't so bright. But when the boys' feet strike the football in the Sao Carlos slum as night falls every Saturday, big league dreams glow, inflated by the hope of escaping the shantytown with sporting skills. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

Brazil’s other soccer fields

With the Confederations Cup opening this week and the World Cup one year away, all eyes are on Brazil, where soccer is arguably played with more passion and art than anywhere else....

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 16: John F. Tatum Sr. hugs his grandson John F. Tatum III during his annual Father's Day block party on Sunday, June 16, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Amanda Voisard/For the Washington Post)

Father’s Day picnic in Northeast D.C.

A decades-old backyard barbecue in Northeast Washington draws hundreds in honor of dads everywhere. “It’s off-the-chain fun,” says Butch McNair, who has worked one...

Back to Previous Gallery

Related Stories

Detention Ai Weiwei overshadows opening of sculpture exhibit

Detention Ai Weiwei overshadows opening of sculpture exhibit

NEW YORK — New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg was present, in the rain on Grand Army Plaza, for the opening of the sculpture installation “Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads,” by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. Bill T. Jones, the choreographer, was there, as well as artist Julian Schnabel and Agnes Gund, philanthropist and former president of the Museum of Modern Art.

Opinion: China’s brutal repression

Just before the Beijing Olympics in 2008, a group of young Chinese activists was evacuated to the United States for safety reasons. Chinese officials were harassing and detaining people they thought might embarrass them during the Olympics. Three of the activists flew to Philadelphia that summer and slept on mattresses on my dining room floor.

China: Ai Weiwei held for ‘economic crimes’

China: Ai Weiwei held for ‘economic crimes’

BEIJING — The Chinese government on Thursday confirmed it is holding the missing artist Ai Weiwei, who has been incommunicado since police seized him Sunday at Beijing’s airport while other officers raided his art studio.

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei arrested in ongoing government crackdown

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei arrested in ongoing government crackdown

BEIJING — Ai Weiwei, one of China’s most prominent artists and an outspoken critic of the communist regime, was taken from Beijing’s airport by security agents Sunday as he was about to board a flight to Hong Kong. Police later raided his studio.

Furor escalates over China’s detention of artist Ai Weiwei

Furor escalates over China’s detention of artist Ai Weiwei

BEIJING — Fears for the safety of one of China’s best-known artists are growing amid international condemnation of his extra-legal disappearance at the hands of the country’s increasingly repressive state security apparatus.

Discussion Policy | FAQ | About Discussions

Loading...

Comments

Add your comment

Read what others are saying About Badges

SuperFan Badge

SuperFan badge holders consistently post smart, timely comments about Washington area sports and teams.

More about badges | Request a badge

Culture Connoisseur Badge

Culture Connoisseurs consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on the arts, lifestyle and entertainment.

More about badges | Request a badge

Fact Checker Badge

Fact Checkers contribute questions, information and facts to The Fact Checker.

More about badges | Request a badge

Washingtologist Badge

Washingtologists consistently post thought-provoking, timely comments on events, communities, and trends in the Washington area.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Writer Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post editor, reporter or producer.

Post Forum Badge

Post Forum members consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on politics, national and international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Weather Watcher Badge

Weather Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on climates and forecasts.

More about badges | Request a badge

World Watcher Badge

World Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Contributor Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post contributor. Post contributors aren’t staff, but may write articles or columns. In some cases, contributors are sources or experts quoted in a story.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Recommended

Washington Post reporters or editors recommend this comment or reader post.

You must be logged in to report a comment.

Comments our editors find particularly useful or relevant are displayed in Top Comments, as are comments by users with these badges: . Replies to those posts appear here, as well as posts by staff writers.

All comments are posted in the All Comments tab.

More about badges

Get a badge

To pause and restart automatic updates, click "Live" or "Paused". If paused, you'll be notified of the number of additional comments that have come in.

Comments our editors find particularly useful or relevant are displayed in Top Comments, as are comments by users with these badges: . Replies to those posts appear here, as well as posts by staff writers.