Ai Weiwei: New York 1983-1993

by Weiwei Ai

The Chinese artist Ai Weiwei (b. Beijing 1957; lives and works in Beijing) spent the years from 1983 to 1993 in New York. During this time, he took more than 10,000 black-and-white photographs of life in the American metropolis; when he returned to China, the pictures, mostly negatives, were in his luggage. After leaving them untouched for years, Ai made a selection of 226 photographs that were developed and shown at the Three Shadows Art Centre, Beijing, in 2010. These pictures are now on display at the Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin, the first time they are shown in Germany; they are also presented in this illustrated book. For the young Ai Weiwei--today China's most famous contemporary artist--his long stay in the United States was a period that shaped his style and set the stage for his future career as an artist. He lived in a tiny apartment in New York's East Village and was an active member of the neighborhood's arts scene. In the 1980s, New York also promised Chinese artists freedo

336 pages, Paperback

First published November 16, 2011

About the author

Ai Weiwei is one of the world's most important living artists. Born in 1957, He lives in Cambridge.