ai weiwei dj spooky interview

8/22/2019 Ai Weiwei DJ Spooky Interview

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ORIGIN.


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Paul D. Miller: The recent discovery o the colorings that

decorated the Terracotta Warriors that surrounded the grave

o Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the rst emperor o China, tell us

that Chinas tradition o using the arts to buttress governance,power, and the central government go back to the origins o the

nation. I tend to think o your work as an elusive counterpoint to

the premise that art can speak truth to power. What inspires you

to look at the history o China and Revolution or material?

Ai Weiwei: Chinas culture and history are closely related to my livingenvironment. This country is my birthplace. It is also where I grew up.Its culture and history shape my relations with family, friends, society,and daily life. It is also the main reason that leads me to my currentcondition. Through my work and ways of expression, I strive toengage in dialogue with the society that I am living in. I hopethat my work expresses my worldview and encourages peopleto exchange ideas.

PDM: Special zones have been a eature o themodernization o China or hundreds o years

what do you think about the role o art in Chinas

geography and history? Does it aect your practice?

Especially in light o the art projects where you have

had a tremendous amount o people travel rom China to

Germany or dOCUMENTA,Fairytale, or the earthquake rebar

materials in your works about the Sichuan earthquake o 2008.

AWW: China has a rich history that has spanned millennia. It consistsof the histories of many nations and regions. My understanding ofChinese history is limited. So far, I have only scratched its surface; I wish

ABOVE: photo by Gao yuan RIGHT: provisional landscapes, 2002-2008, c-prints, various dimensions,

In the ace ouncertain utures

IntervIew:

Paul D. Miller/

DJ SPooky



I could find out more. I gain insights about Chinas history and societyworking on projects such asFairytale (2007) and Citizens Investigation(2008). Along with many architecture projects, online initiatives, andexchanges with netizens, they are all learning experiences for me.

PDM: With the rise o digital media barriersThe Great

Firewall o Chinaartists, more than ever, have ound that artis an elusive quantity, dicult to corral and control. How do

you eel your work relates to current digital media projects,

and how is it a critique o the urban landscape or example,

some o your works like Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn or your

photographs o New York rom your time living there?

AWW: Many of my photography and video works relate to thecurrent conditions of cities and their changes. I created works such asBeijing 2003, Second Ring, Third Ring, Changan Boulevard, andProvisionalLandscapes with the intention to express and document these changes.We live in changing times, and many people experience the challenges

that come with it. In the face of uncertainfutures, no one will know what to expect.

PDM: You have a amous phrase that

people oten quote: Without reedom o

speech there is no modern world, just a

barbaric one. How do you eel about that

statement ater your experiences in the

secret prisons?

The freedom of speech is an important yardstick

for a societys level of civilization. A societyis healthy only when it allows its members todiscuss their thoughts openly. This is also theonly way that a society can gather consensus,let everyone express his or her wish, and fostercreativity. However, China restricts the societysfreedom of speech. The Communist Partyimposes these limits because it lacks confidencetowards the future and has no ideals. Nowadays,China is experiencing the detrimental effects ofsuch decisions. Its citizens have no creativity.There is no motivation in participating inpolitics, nor social responsibilities. There isno media freedom. As a result, the society iscorrupt and lacks productivity. It is unable to

adjust itself for progress. This will lead to thecountrys eventual downfall.

PDM: Your aesthetics are grounded

in disciplines as diverse as poetry,

architecture, rock music, photography,

sculpture, and installation art. Which one

acts as a main catalyst or you?

AWW: Behind all these categories, the mostimportant theme is individual freedom. Ourlives are bound by physical limits, familialties, political conditions, and geographicalrestrictions. Individual freedom takes us beyondthem all. The demand for individual freedom

leads us to different realms, and it enables usto participate in social events. By participatingin the society we live in, we understand ourconditions and the way we relate to the world.The categories are therefore not important.What is important is that we activelyexpress our thoughts and wishes, inevery realm that we can access.

PDM: How do you eel

that the rest o the world views the rise o

China and the role that contemporary

Chinese art will play in the interaction

o economics, globalization, and

the act that China has become

the worlds production lab?Your work at The Tate Modern,

Sunfower Seeds, hints at this.

Id love to hear how your view

o the concepts o original and

copy refect one anotherespecially

since your studio is called FAKE.

AWW: The rest of the world understands littleabout Chinas changes and the possibilities and crisesthat come with them. China seems unpredictable becauseit has a distinct culture and social system. It is still a mysteryto other parts of the world, even though the veil of China has

www.AIwEIwEI.COMTOP: Beijing: The second ring, 2005, video, January 14 february 11, 2005, 1h 6min

BOTTOM: Beijing: The Third ring, 2005, video, January 1 9, 2005, 1h 50min

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been lifted many times as a result ofglobalization. The biggest obstaclein interacting with China is thedifference in perspectives about basic

values. These include issues such ashuman rights, the concept of lawand constitution. The importanceof elections, transparency, legalprocedures, an independent army,and the judicial system is not regardedas highly in China. These core valuesare the most important evidence of

the health of a society, quality of life,and security. A clear understandingof such differences will help the restof the world understand China and allthat is happening to the nation.

PDM: With places like

Zhongguancun (the computer

hardware shopping center in

the heart o Beijing that is one

o the largest o its kind in

the world), one can see how

special geographic areas have

evolved out o neighborhoods

like thehutongso old Beijing.Specialized spaces like the BirdsNest or Ordos 100 are reverse

citiesthey are built rst, then

become the centers o reverse-

engineered cities that ll around

them as needed. What do you

think o the uture o Chinese

cities? What role does art play in

the urbanization o China, rom

your point o view?

AWW: So-called Chinese art andculture is under control of the Party.

They exist to serve the official agenda. I callit fake art and culture. For decades, the Partyreaps political benefits at the expense of the

peoples knowledge, happiness, and imagination.As a result, modern Chinese culture is weak andlackluster. My musician friends are banned fromplaying concerts in China because they share thesame views as I do. My name cannot appear onthe web, because my opinion is different fromthe Party. All movies in China are censored. Outof 600 movies produced in China, only 60 areallowed to show in theatres. For example, ourdocumentaries can only be distributed online. Thisis the only way that they could be seen. Beijing isconstructing a 100,000 m2 modern art museum,

yet it will not feature any of my work. The so-called culture nowadays is only a fake one with asuperficial front. It is an empty lie. This country

spends a lot of resources and effort on gaining softpower over culture. The hope is that it can be thelast lifeline for the Partys survival. Obviously, theidea will fail.

PDM: What are some contemporary Chinese

bands you suggest people check out?

AWW: I would recommend Zuoxiao Zuzhou () and also the group Ershou Meigui (, Second-hand Rose), who is playing inBrooklyn in the fall.

TOP: fairyTale luggage, 2007, fabric, plastic, steel (h) 57 x 22x 38cm BOTTOM: fairyTale, 2007, 1001 chinese visitors

[Chinas] citizens

have no creativity.

There is no motivation

in participating in

politics, nor social

responsibilities. There

is no media freedom.

As a result, the societyis corrupt and lacks

productivity. It is unable

to adjust itself for

progress. This will lead

to the countrys eventual

downfall.

O.



When I first came toChina in the fallof 2006, it was on a tripthat was meant to lastfive months. I traveledto places like Tibet andTaiwan and began learningMandarin Chinese witha tutor. After cancelingmy ticket home, I movedto Beijing and decided tohone my language skillsin the workplace. After

answering a slew of online job ads, I became an English coach on theset of a Jackie Chan/Jet Li film, wrote about basketball for the official

2008 Olympic website, performed voice-overs for cartoons, and madesilicone dummies for a special effects studio.

In 2008, I became an accredited journalist and also first met AiWeiwei. I began filming him for a small project that eventually turnedinto my feature documentary,Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry. As I got toknow Weiwei over the course of several years, I began to understandthat the film would be about a creative and principled artist who is

willing to make calculated risks to push society to grapple with itsown shortcomings. Weiwei is a charismatic figure who, in his personaldynamism, embodies the multitude of experiences and realities inChina and symbolizes how China has changed and how there is more

change to come.

ButNever Sorry is not just about Weiwei... or China. I hope the filmwill move audiences to interrogate themselves. What is my vision fora better future? What would I risk to express myself?The most powerfulimpact of this film would be to inspire a new crop of outspoken artists,activists, and citizens with a strong vision for improving the future intheir respective societies.

www.AIwEIwEINEvERsORRy.COM

a flm by Alison Klayman(director, producer, and cinematographer)

Alison Klayman, director of the feature-length documentary, Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, shares

how her personal experiences led to her work with the world-renowned Chinese artist.

PHOTOS: stills fromai WeiWei: never sorry

Ai Weiwei:Never Sorry

ai weiwei dj spooky interview

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