51 ancient Chinese vases covered with brightly colored paint
Exhibition visitors have expressed feelings of uneasiness or even pain and nostalgia when seeing Colored Vases by Ai Weiwei12. The 51 vases3 that make up the artwork are originally treasures from the Neolithic Age4 (5000–3000 BCE) and the artist has dunked them in common industrial paint.
Why did Ai Weiwei do it?
By doing this, he commented on the devastation caused by the Chinese Cultural Revolution56 and the disregard for centuries-old craftsmanship78. By covering the surfaces, the history of the vases is no longer visible but still there, beneath the dried layer of industrial color. Some viewers have felt provoked by this audacious act, in their eyes destroying something rare and precious instead of safeguarding and worshipping it.
Conclusion
Like many other works by Ai Weiwei, he uses irony to challenge viewers’ assumptions and perspectives. As China’s most notorious artist, he finds himself in constant confrontation with the Chinese authorities, and Colored Vases is an essential piece in his rebellious oeuvre.
Photos
2 Ai Weiwei – Colored Vases, 2006, Neolithic vases (5000-3000 BC), industrial paint, 51 pieces, dimensions variable3 Ai Weiwei – Colored Vases, 2006, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington D.C., 2012, photo: Cathy Carver4 Ai Weiwei – Colored Vases, 2010, 31 Han Dynasty vases and industrial paint5 Ai Weiwei – Colored Vases, 2007-2010, Han Dynasty vases and industrial paint, dimensions variable, Brooklyn Museum6 Ai Weiwei – Colored Vases, 20067 Ai Weiwei – Colored Vases, 20068 Ai Weiwei – Colored Vases , 2014 Han dynasty vases (206 BC – 220 AD) and industrial paint, 11.5 x 9 x 13 in, 11.5 x 9 x 12.5 in, 12.5 x 9.5 x 13 inches, Haines Gallery
All images by Ai Weiwei Studio unless otherwise noted.
