Ai Weiwei: Trace at Hirshhorn

Ai Weiwei has been proclaimed as one of China's most controversial artist. He uses multiple mediums in his artwork to promote human rights, freedom and expression for all.

Ai Weiwei discussed state corruption and cover ups on his blog which in turn led to frustration by his government. In 2011 he was incarcerated by the Chinese government and interrogated endlessly for his outspoken nature.

He still finds it to be a mystery as to why he was released due to the detainment of his lawyers, friends and associates. As of now, Weiwei is banned from the Chinese internet with not even his name being allowed to appear on it. Because of this, Ai Weiwei switched over to twitter and instagram which he credits with getting him more familiar with current issues and politics. He speaks highly of the platforms saying they "empower individuals to knowledge and independent communication with others."

The Plain Version of the Animal That Looks Like a Llama but Is Really an Alpaca

twitter birds represent tweets challenging authority

In the dynamic installation Trace, Ai Weiwei uses legos as the medium to create amazing portraits. He uses legos because of their disarming nature, as well as, their ease of creation and destruction capability, much like freedom itself. Although at first glance it simply appears to be a myriad of finely orchestrated pieces, the colors are actually used to reflect the cultural background of the prisoner.

It is Weiwei's belief that the people depicted in his installation are heroes of our time and deserve a very strong image to be remembered and to be exhibited.

Do you believe that people who stand up for change should accused of treason or celebrated for being the people's champ?

How can these governments and citizens work together to create a better more peaceful world for the future generations?

Ai Weiwei: Trace at Hirshhorn runs Jun 28, 2017-Jan 1, 2018

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