AI WEIWEI:
My name is Ai Weiwei. I am Chinese. I am often known as an artist.
PRESENTER:
Ai Weiwei is one of the most recognisable names in contemporary art. This piece, Whitewash, features many Neolithic storage jars—about a quarter of which the artist has painted white—arranged in neat rows. He told us where these elements of physicality, and structure, come from in his art.
AI WEIWEI:
I’ve been interested in handcrafts since I was a child, as I grew up with material hardship. This was a period of time when things could only be made with your own hands, from a bookshelf, a kettle, a fire stove on the wall, to your own bed. As we lived in such a primitive community, I became familiar with handcrafts, which I think is very beneficial. It's also helped with my art practice.
How does this relate to art? There are many ways to express our feelings, it could be hundred percent based on logic, or a combination of logical and sentimental, or it can be pure sentiment. Instead of sentimental expression, I prefer to communicate based on logic, with critical analysis.
PRESENTER:
Given this tendency towards critical thinking, we asked Ai Weiwei where the inspiration for a piece like Whitewash comes from. His answer was slightly surprising.
AI WEIWEI:
None of my works were drawn from inspiration. People often ask where I find my inspiration. In fact, I’ve never had any inspiration—perhaps I’m not a real artist, even though I’ve done so many works and exhibitions. My work comes naturally from my analytical thinking, my understanding of things; they are driven by my curiosity and my state of being, from which I intend to dig the meaning out by the roots.
In fact, I don't care whether they're art or not. This statement is apparently very important, because I would never have hoped to sell my works to anyone. Or to ask people to collect them. Neither would I have thought that they would be shown at the M+ museum. This is true. I mean it. I make art because it’s my hobby, I like to do it, and it also shows my attitude towards aesthetics.
