Ai Wei-wei's (艾未未) "absent"

Ai Wei-wei’s "absent" at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum. 

  • an unexpected personal/emotional connection
  • the sense of purpose was powerful, and empowering
  • defiance, defying
  • a sort of satisfaction, a sense of unspoken justice? (mostly, a big F*** YOU.)
  • i may disagree with certain depictions, but i cannot disagree with his effort and his purpose. 

some straight up, in your face expression of discontentment. or perhaps i’m just reveling in the fact that someone just took a saw to a three-hundred-year-old-antique (although followed by reassembly). 

more on Ai Wei-wei here
and also, some current events



some personal favorites:


 Dropping a Han Dynasty urn (1995)

Table with Three Legs (2007) - a “revamped” Qing Dynasty table


Surveillance Camera (2006) - marble sculpture


Study in Perspective (1995) - Tiananmen Square



**on a somewhat relevant note, Taiwan presidential elections on Jan 14th. 台灣加油!

Robert Tsaiai wei wei, 艾未未, absent, taipei fine arts museumComment