Humanity

Ai Weiwei, Larry Warsh

• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN: 9780691181523
• eBook ISBN: 9781400890347
• Topic: Arte
• Subtopic: Arte e politica

Writings on human life and the refugee crisis by the most important political artist of our time

Ai Weiwei (b. 1957) is widely known as an artist across media: sculpture, installation, photography, performance, and architecture. He is also one of the world's most important artist-activists and a powerful documentary filmmaker. His work and art call attention to attacks on democracy and free speech, abuses of human rights, and human displacement--often on an epic, international scale.

This collection of quotations demonstrates the range of Ai Weiwei's thinking on humanity and mass migration, issues that have occupied him for decades. Selected from articles, interviews, and conversations, Ai Weiwei's words speak to the profound urgency of the global refugee crisis, the resilience and vulnerability of the human condition, and the role of art in providing a voice for the voiceless.

Select quotations from the book:

"This problem has such a long history, a human history. We are all refugees somehow, somewhere, and at some moment."

"Allowing borders to determine your thinking is incompatible with the modern era."

"Art is about aesthetics, about morals, about our beliefs in humanity. Without that there is simply no art."

"I don't care what all people think. My work belongs to the people who have no voice."

SOURCES

Quotations presented in the text have in some cases been lightly edited for clarity.

1. Thomas, M. “Ai Weiwei speaks in Pittsburgh about life and art.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 5, 2016. http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/art-architecture/2016/06/05/Ai-Weiwei-speaks-in-Pittsburgh-about-life-and-art-1/stories/201606040139

2. AFP. “ ‘Anybody could be a refugee’: Ai Weiwei films global crisis.” Daily Mail, February 23, 2017. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-4251578/Anybody-refugee-Ai-Weiwei-films-global-crisis.html

3. Sooke, Alastair. “Ai Weiwei interview: ‘I am the best selfie artist.’ ” BBC, September 18, 2017. http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20170918-ai-weiwei-interview-i-am-the-best-selfie-artist

4. Ehrlich, David. “How ‘Human Flow’ Director Ai Weiwei Made the Definitive Film About the Refugee Crisis.” Indie Wire, October 18, 2017. http://www.indiewire.com/2017/10/ai-weiwei-human-flow-documentary-interview-refugee-crisis-1201887125/

5. CBC Arts. “Ai Weiwei: How to change the world in 3 easy steps.” CBC, November 15, 2016. http://www.cbc.ca/arts/ai-weiwei-how-to-change-the-world-in-3-easy-steps-1.3850739

6. Ostwald, Susanne. “Das Schöne und das Dunkle existieren in demselben Bild.” Neue Zürcher Zeitung, November 14, 2017. https://www.nzz.ch/feuilleton/das-schoene-und-das-dunkle-existieren-in-demselben-bild-ld.1326643

7. Suhrawardi, Rebecca. “Chinese Activist Ai Weiwei Returns to New York with Four Refugee-Focused Exhibitions.” Forbes, November 5, 2016. https://www.forbes.com/sites/rebeccasuhrawardi/2016/11/05/chinese-activist-ai-weiwei-returns-to-new-york-with-four-refugee-focused-exhibitions/#3c25765238ba

8. Gelman Myers, Judy. “Call for Action: Chinese artist Ai Weiwei’s ‘Human Flow’ documents worldwide refugee crisis.” Film Journal International, October 11, 2017. http://www.filmjournal.com/features/call-action-chinese-artist-ai-weiweis-human-flow-documents-worldwide-refugee-crisis

9. Kramer, Gary M. “ ‘We could all be potential refugees’: Ai Weiwei on the epic journey of ‘Human Flow.’ ” Salon, October 14, 2017. https://www.salon.com/2017/10/14/we-could-all-be-potential-refugees-ai-weiwei-on-the-epic-journey-of-human-flow/

10. Whyte, Murray. “Ai Weiwei turns his lens on refugee crisis.” The Star, October 19, 2017. https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/visualarts/2017/10/19/ai-weiwei-turns-his-lens-on-refugee-crisis.html

11. “Ai Weiwei ‘Laundromat.’ ” NY Art Beat. http://www.nyartbeat.com/event/2016/AB9C

12. AP. “Ai Weiwei puts human face on migrant crisis in ‘Human Flow.’ ” September 1, 2017. http://www.breitbart.com/news/ai-weiwei-puts-human-face-on-migrant-crisis-in-human-flow/

13. AP. “Ai Weiwei sets up studio on Greek island to highlight plight of refugees.” Guardian, January 1, 2016. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/jan/01/ai-weiwei-sets-up-studio-on-greek-island-of-lesbos-to-highlight-plight-of-refugees

14. Cué, Carlos E. “Ai Weiwei: ‘Humanity is more cowardly with each passing day.’ ” El País, August 3, 2017. https://elpais.com/elpais/2017/08/02/inenglish/1501684675_384911.html

15. Eisinger, Dale. “Ai Weiwei’s Good Fences Make Good Neighbors Tests the Limits of Humanity.” Spin, October 23, 2017. https://www.spin.com/2017/10/ai-weiwei-good-fences-make-good-neighbors-review/

16. Urist, Jacoba. “How Should Art Address Human Rights?” The Atlantic, April 4, 2017. https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/04/how-should-art-address-human-rights/521520/

17. Jayaraman, Gayatri. “Artist awash in the land of refugees.” India Today, February 3, 2016. http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/ai-weiwei-tribute-to-syrian-refugee-aylan-kurdi/1/587095.html

18. Wiener, Jon. “Ai Weiwei on the Refugee Crisis: ‘People Have Been Forced Into a State of Movement.’ ” Start Making Sense: The Nation’s Podcast, October 13, 2017. https://www.thenation.com/article/ai-weiwei-on-the-refugee-crisis-people-have-been-forced-into-a-state-of-movement/

19. Beam, Christopher. “Beyond Ai Weiwei: How China’s Artists Handle Politics (Or Avoid Them).” New Yorker, March 27, 2015. https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/ai-weiwei-problem-political-art-china

20. Anderson, Ariston. “Venice: ‘Human Flow’ Director Ai Weiwei on the ‘Moral Challenge’ of the Refugee Crisis.” Hollywood Reporter, September 1, 2017. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/venice-human-flow-director-ai-weiwei-moral-challenge-refugee-crisis-1034542

21. Pham, Sherisse. “Artists Ai Weiwei and Anish Kapoor: March for refugees.” CNN, September 21, 2015. http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/17/world/ai-weiwei-anish-kapoor-march-for-refugees/index.html

22. Flak, Agnieszka, and Hanna Rantala. “Ad-hoc iPhone shots inspired refugee epic, Chinese artist says.” Reuters, September 1, 2017. https://news.trust.org/item/20170901150547-ilnrs

23. Glasser, Susan B. “China Is Laughing About This Situation.” Global Politico, October 16, 2017. http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/10/16/ai-weiwei-global-politico-transcript-215715

24. “Ai Weiwei’s ‘Good Fences Make Good Neighbors.’ ” CBS News, October 15, 2017. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ai-weiweis-good-fences-make-good-neighbors/

25. Luscombe, Belinda. “7 Questions With Ai Weiwei.” Time, October 12, 2017. http://time.com/4979256/ai-weiwei-new-york-exhibiton/

26. Combemale, Leslie. “Human Flow Review and Exclusive Interview with World Renowned Artist Ai Weiwei.” Cinema Siren, October 13, 2017. http://cinemasiren.com/cinema-siren/human-flow-review-exclusive-interview-world-renowned-artist-ai-weiwei/

27. Suhrawardi, Rebecca. “Chinese Activist Ai Weiwei Returns to New York with Four Refugee-Focused Exhibitions.” Forbes, November 5, 2016. https://www.forbes.com/sites/rebeccasuhrawardi/2016/11/05/chinese-activist-ai-weiwei-returns-to-new-york-with-four-refugee-focused-exhibitions/#3c25765238ba

28. Stewart, Jessica. “Ai Weiwei Draws Attention to the Refugee Crisis with Powerful New Installation.” My Modern Met, March 20, 2017. http://mymodernmet.com/ai-weiwei-law-of-the-journey/

29. Shah, Vikas. “A Conversation With Ai WeiWei—Artist & Activist.” Thought Economics, June 28, 2017. https://thoughteconomics.com/ai-weiwei-interview/

30. Dick, Jason. “Ai Weiwei Brings Politics, Humanity to ‘Human Flow.’ ” Roll Call, October 11, 2017. https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/ai-weiwei-brings-politics-humanity-human-flow

31. Vankin, Deborah. “Why Ai Weiwei was compelled to take on the global refugee crisis in his new documentary.” Los Angeles Times, October 6, 2017. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-ca-mn-ai-weiwei-human-flow-20171006-htmlstory.html

32. Ziv, Stav. “Trump’s ‘ridiculous’ border wall, travel ban will not make America great again, Ai Weiwei says.” Newsweek, October 14, 2017. http://www.newsweek.com/2017/10/27/trump...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Introduction
• Humanity
• Crisis
• Borders
• Power
• Displacement
• Freedom
• Action
• Sources
• Chronology
• Acknowledgments