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Ai Weiwei is the renaissance man of Chinese contemporary art. After a twelve-year stint in New York, he returned to Beijing to become a publisher, curator, architect, blogger, and vocal critic of Chinese government policy, in addition to performing his multifarious roles as neo-Conceptual artist—which include even tour guide: For Documenta 12, he transported 1,001 Chinese citizens to Kassel. This exhibition, Ai’s largest to date, will feature thirty-two sculptures, photographs, videos, and installations made primarily in the past decade. To articulate the artist’s diverse vocabulary, curator Mami Kataoka will divide the show into three loose groupings—cubic and polyhedral shapes, ceramic-based works, and carved maps and furniture—based on recurring forms and materials in Ai’s practice. The artist may be a media darling, but this show promises a deeper critical look into his oeuvre rather than at his celebrity. (Colin Chinnery, Artforum)
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