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Why did Ai Weiwei make Sunflower Seeds?
1 Answer
Ai Weiwei made Sunflower Seeds to provide a political critique. During his childhood, the Chinese artist frequently saw propaganda posters depicting Mao Zedong, founder of the Chinese Communist Party, as the sun and the citizens of China as sunflowers thriving beneath his rays. His installation featuring 100 million individually handmade sunflower seeds symbolized the poverty that the artist experienced while growing up in Communist China and the reduction of people as individuals / the grouping of individual human beings into a mass that occurred under Communist rule. Shop a collection of Ai Weiwei art on 1stDibs.
1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2024
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Shop for Ai Weiwei Art on 1stDibs
Cats Black, 2022
By Ai Weiwei
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Lovely work from the artist.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Mixed Media
Materials
Screen
"Coca Cola" Vase
By Ai Weiwei
Located in London, GB
Murano, cast vase in translucent red glass. Includes original packaging and ply presentation box. Edition of 300. Produced in 2023. This work comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.
Category
2010s Pop Art Sculptures
Materials
Glass
AI WEIWEI - CEDAR (I). Limited edition sculpture, Contemporary, Modern design
By Ai Weiwei
Located in Madrid, Madrid
AI WEIWEI - CEDAR (I)
Date of creation: 2023
Medium: Cast aluminium
Edition: 50 + 2 A/P
Size: 20 x 15.8 x 14.4 cm
Condition: In mint conditions, brand new and never displayed
ABOUT...
Category
2010s Conceptual Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Metal
Forest, 1977
By Ai Weiwei
Located in London, GB
Ai Weiwei “Forest (1977)”, 2024
Limited edition offset lithograph print
Edition of 200
Hand-signed by the artist
Published by Damocle Edizioni, Venice, 2024
Each edition comes with...
Category
2010s Contemporary Landscape Prints
Materials
Lithograph, Offset
Ai Weiwei, Coca-Cola Glass Vase - Limited Edition Sculpture, Engraved Signature
By Ai Weiwei
Located in Hamburg, DE
Ai Weiwei (Chinese, b. 1957)
Coca-Cola Glass Vase, 2023
Medium: Cast vase in translucent red glass
Dimensions: ⌀ 19 cm x 21 cm x 21.2 cm (7 1/2 × 8 3/10 × 8 3/10 in)
Edition of 300: ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Glass
Ai Weiwei, Cats (Silver) - Signed Print
By Ai Weiwei
Located in Hamburg, DE
Ai Weiwei (Chinese, b. 1957)
Cats (Silver), 2024
Medium: Silver foil block on wove paper
Dimensions: 27.2 x 32.8 cm (10 7/10 × 12 9/10 in)
Edition of 200: Hand-signed, numbered and d...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Prints
Materials
Foil
