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Ai Weiwei
Artists

Ai Weiwei

Chinese, born 1957

Ai Weiwei is a Beijing-based artist and activist whose work encompasses sculpture, installation, photography, film, architecture, curation, and social criticism. His art has been featured in major solo exhibitions including Ai Weiwei at Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, UK, 2014; Evidence at the Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin, 2014; and Ai Weiwei: According to What?, which was organized by the Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, in 2009, and traveled to North American venues in 2013–14. Ai collaborated with architects Herzog & de Meuron on the “bird’s nest” stadium for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including Amnesty International’s Ambassador of Conscience Award in 2015.

Ai Weiwei Website

FOR-SITE Projects

  • Ai Weiwei, Trace (detail)
    @Large: Ai Weiwei on AlcatrazSeptember 27, 2014 – April 26, 2015
  • Patience (installation view)
    Presidio HabitatsMay 16, 2010 – May 15, 2011
Top: Photo: Jan Stürmann

Places + Artists

  • Overview
  • Places
  • 34,000 Pillows Workshop Open House
    • Shiva Ahmadi
    • Ai Weiwei
    • Anandamayi Arnold
    • Tammam Azzam
    • Tirtzah Bassel
    • Philippe Becker Design
    • David Burns
    • CEBRA
    • Chadwick Studio
    • Susanne Cockrell
    • Brian Conley
    • René de Guzman
    • Díaz Lewis
    • Mark Dion
    • Chris Drury
    • Lori Ellison
    • Yashar Azar Emdadian
    • Kota Ezawa
    • Al Farrow
    • Mia Feuer
    • Lisa Findley
    • Bill Fontana
    • Donald Fortescue
    • Amy Franceschini
    • Andy Freeberg
    • Andy Goldsworthy
    • Fritz Haeg
    • Terence Haggerty
    • Doug Hall
    • Angela Hennessy
    • Walter Hood
    • Nitin Jayaswal
    • Oblio Jenkins
    • Jensen Architects
    • Sandra Kelch
    • Courtney Lain
    • Amy Lambert
    • David Liittschwager
    • Richard Long
    • Liza Lou
    • Nathan Lynch
    • Mandana Moghaddam
    • Abelardo Morell
    • Ranu Mukherjee
    • Ogrydziak/Prillinger Architects
    • Trevor Paglen
    • Cornelia Parker
    • Kate Pocrass
    • Shahpour Pouyan
    • Michele Pred
    • The Propeller Group
    • Jeannene Przyblyski
    • Ted Purves
    • Luz María Sánchez
    • Alison Sant
    • Dan Schmidt
    • Dana Sherwood
    • Shi Guorui
    • Allison Smith
    • Do Ho Suh
    • Surface Design Inc.
    • Stephanie Syjuco
    • Taalman Koch Architecture
    • Barbara Takenaga
    • Bruce Tomb
    • Camille Utterback
    • Deborah Valoma
    • Bill Viola
    • Richard T. Walker
    • Alexia Webster
    • Pae White
    • Krzysztof Wodiczko
    • Yin Xiuzhen

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For-Site Foundation

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Sanctuary Salon (February 23, 2018)

Sanctuary Salon (February 23, 2018)

Echoing Sanctuary's ethos of plurality, the "Sanctuary Salon" series weaves together the voices of artists whose practices span creative disciplines, including ...

Brendan Fernandes: Safely (2017)

Brendan Fernandes: Safely (2017)

As part of his commission for "Sanctuary," Brendan Fernandes presented a site-specific durational performance that explored themes of reverence and sacred ...

Panel Discussion: Approaching the Rug as a Critical Form

Panel Discussion: Approaching the Rug as a Critical Form

Panel Discussion "Above the Rug: Approaching the Rug as a Critical Form" February 11, 2018 Historically and traditionally, rugs are a medium for cultural ...

Sanctuary

Sanctuary



Sanctuary Salon (January 26, 2018)

Sanctuary Salon (January 26, 2018)

Echoing the ethos of plurality embodied within FOR-SITE's exhibition "Sanctuary," the "Sanctuary Salon" series weaves together the voices of artists whose ...

Sanctuary Salon (December 14, 2017)

Sanctuary Salon (December 14, 2017)

Echoing the ethos of plurality embodied within FOR-SITE's exhibition "Sanctuary," the "Sanctuary Salon" series weaves together the voices of artists whose ...

Twitter

  • It's a full house (er, Chapel) tonight for FOR-SITE's first #Sanctuary Salon https://t.co/ABOANPBfeV
  • Happening now: Free #silkscreening workshops with #SanctuaryPrintShop outside #Sanctuary @FortMasoninSF Chapel https://t.co/4BGs628mct

Instagram

  • Continuing this week’s look through FOR-SITE’s past 15 years, today we’re visiting 2014 when we transformed Alcatraz Island with the monumental works of one of the greatest artists of our time, @aiww. Nearly 900,000 people experienced “@ Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz,” and over 7,000 tickets were distributed to underserved schools and community groups. The exhibition became a watershed moment for FOR-SITE, guiding us toward an ethos of social engagement that continues to shape our projects and exhibitions. __ Partnerships have always been a cornerstone of FOR-SITE’s work. Indeed, “@ Large” was a tremendous undertaking for us, and we couldn’t have done it without the support and collaboration of our project partners @nationalparkservice and @Parks4All. The exhibition also relied heavily on volunteer support. @aiww’s iconic “Trace” installation was assembled largely through the work of volunteers — 82 in all! And finally, to make the exhibition truly come to life, we turned to a dedicated corps of Art Guides. If you visited the exhibition, chances are your experience of it was made all the richer by their insights and thoughtful engagement. __ Help FOR-SITE as we prepare for another 15 years of presenting boundary-pushing #ArtAboutPlace by making a donation today. Follow the link in our profile to make an online donation.
  • Today we’re heading all the way back to FOR-SITE’s origins up in Nevada City on our 50-acre residency site. The residency program ran from 2005 - 2009, and saw FOR-SITE collaborating with a range of institutional partners to select artists and present the work created during the residencies. Included here are images from @Corneliaparkerartist’s “Anti-Mass” exhibited at @ybca from her 2005 residency; Shi Guorui’s exhibition “Reproduction and Refashioning” at @deyoungmuseum created during his 2006 residency; and @markdionstudio’s “The Marvelous Museum” at @oaklandmuseumca that the artist developed as part of his 2009 residency. __ More information about these and other FOR-STIE residency projects is available via the link in our profile.
  • This week we’re hopscotching through FOR-SITE’s history to highlight some of our favorite moments of our past 15 years. Although we were founded in 2003, we’re kicking things off with a visit to 2008 and the installation of #AndyGoldsworthy’s “Spire” in @presidiosf. Beloved by the Bay Area community, “Spire,” became a hallmark of FOR-SITE’s work to highlight the unique history of our parklands. __ When “Spire” was first installed, the reforested trees around it were barely more than saplings. A decade later, almost half the height of “Spire”’s 90ft are obscured by the trees. Eventually, the whole of “Spire” will be hidden within a mature forest of trees — no longer a visible landmark on our landscape, but a beautiful monument of its history. __ If you’ve enjoyed FOR-SITE projects such as “Spire,” consider making a year-end donation to help support our future exhibitions. Follow the link in our profile to make an online donation. __ #ArtAboutPlace
  • 2018 marks FOR-SITE’s 15th anniversary! From our founding in 2003 hosting artist residencies in Nevada City to the large-scale public art exhibitions that followed, FOR-SITE has consistently pushed the boundaries of “art about place.” Help us celebrate and get us ready for the next 15 years by making a donation this #GivingTuesday. To make a gift online, visit the link in our profile. As a thank you for your support, we’d love for you to stop by our office and select a commemorative FOR-SITE item from our archives, including Ai Weiwei books and exhibition swag, “Sanctuary” socks and catalogues, and more. Lastly, don’t forget to stay tuned throughout the week for posts sharing some of our favorite moments from the past 15 years! #ArtAboutPlace

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Field Notes

  • Allison Stone talks Art in the Presidio

  • Art in the Parks and “Home Land Security”: A Partner’s Perspective

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