A Chinese contemporary artist who resides and works both in Berlin and Beijing, Ai Weiwei studied animation at the Beijing Film Academy, then studied art in New York in the early 80’s. Upon returning to China a decade later, he advocated for experimental artists by publishing underground books and curating avant-garde exhibitions.
Ai Weiwei has worked in many mediums, including sculpture, installation, photography, architecture, and film. He is an outspoken advocate of human rights and freedom of speech.
Weiwei’s “Study of Perspective – White House” is an iconic example of a larger body of work that melds art and activism, and is an overt critical response to the current political climate in the United States. Study of Perspective, a series of images shot between 1995 and 2003, show the artist flipping the finger against different buildings across the globe, either landmarks or symbols of authority. Weiwei originally presented the artwork for this collaboration during a controversial art exhibition entitled “Fuck Off”, which ran alongside the Third Shanghai Biennale in 2000.
This is Ai Weiwei’s second Collaboration with THE SKATEROOM — the first collaboration in 2013, raised $15,000 for Skateistan in Kabul – the equivalent of providing 1300 students with educational programs for 2 weeks.
