Assignment 01 AiWeiWei- Through

This is Group Assignment together with kevin chan leong kit and tan wai teik.

Through by Aiweiwei

Ai Weiwei, Through, 2007, Iron wood (Tieli wood), Qing Dynasty (1644–1911), tables, parts of beams and pillars from dismantled temples of the Qing Dynasty (1644 –1911)
400×800×1340 mm.

PART III: JUDGEMENT

            Ai’s artwork could be a propaganda tool and a medium to speak up against the Chinese government, which is a communist country yet authoritarian.  Ai who is famous for his pro-democracy activities uses this artwork to educate us to break out of traditions, revolt against systems that have been the norm but not necessarily good. This is interpreted by how he used old traditional dismantled materials which already have a function, and recreated something new, contemporary and beautiful.

            This is supported by the usage of materials from the Qing Dynasty. Qing Dynasty is the last dynasty in China, before the country turned into a republic due to the XinHai Revolution. This could be the reason why Ai used Qing Dynasty materials, because it shows a fallen system that has ruled for thousands of years and a birth of a new one.

Ai also applied formalism in this artwork. The aggressiveness, flamboyance and dynamism of the artwork are created by using diagonal pillars and tables intersecting each other. The formations seemed random but it created something of high aesthetic value. Using wood to create such effects also plays a role as we are not used to seeing wood designed in such a manner. Together with the large scale of this artwork, it poses quite an uncomfortable feeling. The scale of the artwork probably shows that it takes effort of a huge scale, to change something.