ARCHITECTURE by Ai Weiwei

The Kunsthaus in Bregenz / Austria explores the architectural work of Ai Weiwei with a solo show titled Art / Architecture. On the three levels of architect Peter Zumthor's Kunsthaus building, the exhibitions focuses on Ai Weiwei's collaborative architecture projects such as the Beijing National Stadium (colloquially known as the Bird's Nest) developed in collaboration with the architects Herzog and de Meuron, but also numerous projects with lesser known architects.

© Ai Weiwei: Art / Architecture at Kunsthaus Bregenz.

The Kunsthaus in Bregenz / Austria explores the architectural work of Ai Weiwei with a solo show titled Art / Architecture. While not as widely presented as his artistic oeuvre, Ai Weiwei's work in the field of architecture is extremely important for the artist because of the collaborative -- that is social and political -- aspect of it.

This video takes you on a walk through the exhibition. The tour begins on the first floor with architectural models, plans, photographs and video documentations of specific projects, continues on the second floor with Ordos 100 (2011), a piece specifically created for this show, and finally culminates with the most abstract work of the show, Moon Chest (2008).

VernissageTV also met with the director of the Kunsthaus Bregenz, Yilmaz Dziewior, who talks about the idea behind the show, the concept of the exhibition, the significance of Ai Weiwei's architectural work, and the supporting program.

Ai Weiwei: Art / Architecture at Kunsthaus Bregenz. Interview with Director Yilmaz Dziewior. Opening reception, July 15, 2011.

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More information

Ai Weiwei

Ai Weiwei is a chinese conceptual artist, also works as an architect, photographer, curator and globally recognised human rights activist. Born in 1957 in Beijing, he began his training at Beijing Film Academy and later continued at the Parsons School of Design in New York City.

His work has been exhibited around the world with solo exhibitions at Stiftung DKM, Duisburg (2010); Mori Art Museum, Tokyo (2009); Haus der Kunst, Munich (2009); Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation, Cambelltown Arts Center, Sydney (2008); and the Groninger Museum, Groningen (2008), and participation in the 48th Venice Biennale in Italy (1999, 2008, 2010); Guangzhou Triennale in China (2002, 2005), Busan Biennial in Korea (2006), Documenta 12 in Germany (2007), and the 29th Sao Paulo Biennial in Brazil (2010). In October 2010, Ai Weiwei's "Sunflower Seeds" was installed in the Tate Modern Turbine Hall, London. Ai Weiwei participated in the Serpentine Gallery's China Power Station exhibition in 2006, and the Serpentine Gallery Map Marathon in 2010.

The last solo exhibitions included Ai Weiwei in the Chapel, on view at Yorkshire Sculpture Park through November 2, 2014; Evidence at the Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin, 2014; and Ai Weiwei: According to What?, which was organized by the Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, in 2009, and traveled to North American venues in 2013–14. Ai collaborated with architects Herzog & de Meuron on the “bird’s nest” stadium for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and on the Serpentine Gallery, 2012 London. He has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent from the Human Rights Foundation in 2012.