AI Weiwei: Making Sense - Hardcover

Ai Weiwei: Making Sense - A Journey Through Chinese Craft and Contemporary Design

This comprehensive publication presents Ai Weiwei's work through the lens of design, collecting, and cultural commentary. Published in collaboration with the Design Museum, this hardcover volume features over 200 images documenting the artist's personal collections and newly commissioned works.

Archaeological Collections and Historical Artifacts

The book showcases Ai Weiwei's curated selection of objects spanning millennia of Chinese history. From ancient stone axe heads and Neolithic tools to porcelain teapot spouts and modern mass-produced items, these collections reveal the artist's fascination with craftsmanship across time periods. Each object serves as a commentary on skill, tradition, and the values embedded in material culture.

Chinese Urbanization and Cultural Transformation

Ai Weiwei places historical Chinese artifacts in dialogue with the country's recent periods of demolition and urban development. This juxtaposition examines how rapid industrialization has impacted traditional craftsmanship and cultural heritage. The book documents this tension between preservation and progress through carefully selected objects and new artworks created specifically for the Design Museum exhibition.

Expert Essays and Exclusive Interview

Leading experts contribute essays exploring dominant themes in Ai's practice, including craft traditions, the act of collecting, and China's transformation through urbanization and industrialization. The publication concludes with an interview between Ai Weiwei and renowned British Israeli architect Eyal Weizman, offering insights into the artist's methodology and philosophical approach to design and activism.

Comprehensive Visual Documentation

With over 200 high-quality images, this volume provides extensive visual documentation of Ai Weiwei's collected objects and commissioned works. The photography captures the materiality and craftsmanship of each piece, from ancient stone implements to contemporary installations, making this an essential reference for understanding Ai's multidisciplinary practice across art, architecture, design, film, collecting, and curating.

Ai Weiwei: Making Sense represents the first major publication to examine the artist's work specifically as commentary on design and changing cultural values, making it an important addition to contemporary art and design literature.