Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei
Members Only Guided Tour
“Everything is art. Everything is politics.” Please join us for a members only guided tour of Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei at the Seattle Art Museum.
“Everything is art. Everything is politics.” Globally renowned artist Ai Weiwei (Chinese, b. 1957) is celebrated as a disruptor of artistic canons and a champion of free expression. In his work — ranging across performance, photography, sculpture, video, and installation — he deploys humor and provocation, calling upon his viewers to examine history, society, and culture. Organized by SAM, Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei highlights the artistic strategies of his 40-year career for questioning forms of power. It marks the artist’s first US retrospective in over a decade and his largest-ever US exhibition.
Ai, Rebel explores over 130 works created over four decades, from the 1980s to the 2020s, offering visitors a rare opportunity to engage with the conceptual artist’s wide-ranging body of work. Iconic works from his career are on view, including Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn (1995), Study of Perspective (1995–2011), Sunflower Seeds (2010), Neolithic Vase with Coca Cola Logo (Gold) (2015), and Illumination (2019). The exhibition also features several works making their international debut.
Ai Weiwei creates art that may be considered provocative or sensitive in nature. Some works address themes of social, political, and human rights issues or include explicit language or other elements that could be upsetting for certain audiences.
Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei
Members Only Guided Tour
Socializing, art, and education
Saturday, March 22, 2025
1:45pm - 3:00pm PT
Seattle Art Museum
1300 1st Ave
Seattle, WA 98101
Downtown Seattle
Cost: $30 per person
Members Only
Limited to 20 alumni and their guests
Become a member here!
https://hcseattle.clubs.harvard.edu/memsub.html
Hosted by: Harvard Club of Seattle
We look forward to seeing you at our event!
Still Life, 1993-2000 - 3,600 stone tools from the Stone Age to the Shang Dynasty (10,000 BC-1,100 BC)
Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn, 1995
Fragments, 2005, parts of beams & pillars from dismantled temples of the Qing Dynasty
Template, 2007. Wooden doors and windows from destroyed Ming & Qing Dynasty houses
Straight, 2008–2012. Steel reinforcing bars
Sunflower Seeds, 2010. Installation of 100 million painted porcelain seeds
Neolithic Vase with Coca Cola Logo (Gold) (2015)
Forever Bicycles, 2013. 1,179 Forever bicycle frames
Circle of Animals - Zodiac Heads (Bronze) 2010
Articles
Ai Weiwei
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ai_Weiwei
List of works by Ai Weiwei
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_works_by_Ai_Weiwei
Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dropping_a_Han_Dynasty_Urn
Ai Weiwei: a beginner's guide
Royal Academy of Art
https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/article/ai-weiwei-beginners-guide
Ai Weiwei: 13 works to know
Royal Academy of Art
https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/article/ai-weiwei-13-works-to-know
Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei
Seattle Art Museum
https://seattleartmuseum.org/whats-on/exhibitions/ai-weiwei
Videos
Ai Weiwei – Sunflower Seeds | Artist Interview | Tate
YouTube video about 14 minutes 40 seconds
October 14, 2010
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PueYywpkJW8
Ai Weiwei: New Communication
YouTube video about 3 minutes 20 seconds
July 6, 2012
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HOVhwOxpiY
Ai Weiwei: Sharing His and His Father’s Stories & The Problems with Communist China | The Daily Show
YouTube video about 10 minutes 30 seconds
November 17, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KxlI0BHSNg
Ai Weiwei: Visual artist | Full Address and Q&A | Oxford Union
YouTube video about 50 minutes 25 seconds
October 21, 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qlqU5Vrr3w
Artist Ai Weiwei on Freedom, Fatherhood and His New Graphic Memoir “Zodiac” | Amanpour and Company
YouTube video about 18 minutes 30 seconds
January 30, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1WN2nsKPD4
Your HCS membership supports our Mission!
Membership in HCS costs less than 1 latte per month.
Current Full-time Student Annual Membership price $0.00.
Most Recent Graduate Annual Membership price $0.00.
Recent Graduate Annual Membership price $30.00.
Individual Annual Membership price $60.00.
https://hcseattle.clubs.harvard.edu/memsub.html
We look forward to seeing you at future events!