Ai Weiwei’s exhibition, “Roots,” features a new series of monumental sculptural works in iron, cast from giant tree roots sourced from Brazil. The art pieces are a result of a year-long survey exhibition, “Raiz,” at the Oscar Niemeyer-designed OCA Pavilion in Ibirapuera Park, São Paulo. Ai Weiwei worked with local artisans and communities across Brazil to create the project, visiting Trancoso in the east to locate roots and trunks from the endangered Pequi Vinagreiro tree, typically found in the Bahian rainforest. Elements of these rare tree roots, some of which could be over a thousand years old, were meticulously molded, conjoined, and cast to make striking compositions and bold forms that reflect their Brazilian heritage.
The use of such material signifies craft work that has traditionally been employed in ancient cultures and the first tools used for tree felling and woodworking. Unlike the modern polite art history of bronze or steel sculpture, the cast iron covered in a patina of orange rust adds to the sculpture’s antiquity. It is a traditional way of life that has been overtaken by industrialisation and the relentless pace of modernisation, highlighting how progress can often come at the expense of cultural and societal well-being. One major theme featured in the exhibition is the state of uprootedness that reflects the artist’s peripatetic existence after being allowed to leave China in 2015, as well as the plight of refugees documented by Ai over the past few years.
Alongside the large sculptures are floating figures, clouds, and dream-like vignettes. Ai has been creating delicate sculptures from stretched silk over bamboo armatures for the past five years, often referring to a mythological encyclopaedia of monsters and creatures known as Shan Hai Jing. Ai’s kites draw inspiration from the imaginary creatures depicted in the encyclopaedia, including griffins and dragons. The artist has added personal and childhood symbols, as well as references to his previous works, including the Surveillance Camera and his one-fingered salutes, and those of his influences, including Marcel Duchamp and Vladimir Tatlin.
The exhibition concludes with a development of Ai’s experimentation with LEGO bricks. These new wall-based works feature politically charged renderings of a refugee boat refused docking at Lampedusa after two weeks at sea, the front page of the Mueller report into Russian interference in the 2016 US Presidential election, and a deconstructed symbol of the contentious protests of Tiananmen Square in 1989.
The art pieces are not just about artistic expressions but also have important environmental, cultural, and political messages. Population displacement, deforestation, and conservation are just a few of the subjects that Ai touches on in his art. The exhibition received much attention and drew many visitors, making it a success.
Posted by hateruma_yaeyama on 2019-10-02 10:39:17