What Ai Weiwei Thinks About the State of Athens
Lots of middle fingers.
To celebrate Ai Weiwei’s first feature exhibition at the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens, titled Ai Weiwei at Cycladic, NOWNESS has put together an intimate video with the artist to speak about his work and approach. The controversial artist voices his feelings about the refugee situation he’s observed during his time in Greece and how it’s influenced his work, saying, “Somebody has to defend it … If one person defends it, it benefits everyone.”
Featured in the footage above are several new pieces Ai Weiwei has made in collaboration with MCA — a wall-sized photographic mural documenting those stranded, his classic “Fuck Off” series, and life-sized marble sculptures of surveillance cameras, life buoys and abstract figures alluding to the early Cycladic era. The exhibition runs until October 30th with 10% of proceeds donated to aid refugees. Watch the full video above and find more info about the show here.
