Press release – September 2024
Ai Weiwei: What You See Is What You See
Ai Weiwei What You See Is What You See
October 24, 2024 - February 23, 2025 Faurschou New York
“We do not know what the future holds. Based on our current experiences, regardless of whether they seem prophetic or wise, it is very difficult to determine how to respond to today’s realities or to anticipate tomorrow’s events. Therefore, my most sincere advice is not to believe too firmly in anything.”
Ai Weiwei
Ai Weiwei returns to New York City with his solo exhibition What You See Is What You See at Faurschou New York.
Renowned Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei returns to New York City with his exhibition What You See is What You See, at Faurschou New York. This exhibition brings Ai back to the city where, for twelve transformative years—from 1981 to 1993—his early artistic vision took shape. Ai’s fearless commitment to using art as a tool for resistance and empowerment was inspired by New York’s vibrant cultural scene and his contemporaries. Four decades later and eight years after his last solo exhibition in the city, Ai returns with his first presentation of toy brick artworks in New York.
Ai began using LEGO bricks in 2014 for his exhibition Trace, at Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco. Since then, toy bricks have become a favored medium for the artist, with recent projects created using both LEGO and its Chinese equivalent, WOMA. For What You See Is What You See, Ai presents twelve large-scale works that subvert traditional narratives and techniques, addressing issues such as freedom of expression, geopolitical conflicts, and Western iconoclasm. The exhibition’s title refers to a seminal statement by the late American artist Frank Stella, inviting us to reconsider how we interpret both historical and contemporary forms.
During his time in New York in the 1980s, Ai was influenced by the work of Marcel Duchamp and Andy Warhol—Duchamp’s “readymades” and Warhol’s serialized, factory-like use of images left a lasting impression on Ai. These influences are evident in his new works, which are playful yet sharp with critical commentary. Made by hand from thousands of toy bricks, the artworks' pixelated aesthetic raises questions about craftsmanship and technology, emphasizing the accessibility and replicability of cultural images in the digital age.
The exhibition opens with The End, depicting the closing title of Charlie Chaplin’s film The Great Dictator (1940). The work suggests a paradigm shift, encouraging viewers to reflect on the complexities of today’s global landscape, as they walk through the show.
Several works reinterpret iconic masterpiece paintings, drawing from pivotal moments in art and history. Some remain true to their references, though rendered in vibrant color schemes. Others are monochromatic, resembling print production. Ai incorporates personal and political symbols into the historical imagery, transmuting context and creating new meaning. For example, in his version of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper (1495-1498), Ai replaces Judas with his own portrait, and in Giorgione’s The Sleeping Venus (1510), a coat hanger associated with the artist is featured. These subtle adaptations change the dynamic of both images. Ai adds a baby panda, a symbol of Chinese diplomacy, to Peter Paul Rubens’ The Rape of the Daughters of Leucippus (1618-1621), and Beijing’s Bird’s Nest Stadium appears in the background of Emanuel Leutze’s Washington Crossing the Delaware (1851). By inserting a black square hole, resembling the entrance to the cave he grew up in, into Claude Monet’s Water Lilies (1914–1926), the artist reflects on his childhood in exile and the 81 days he spent in detention by Chinese authorities without formal charges.
Ai’s concerns with displacement and belonging are further explored in Party, a large iron sculpture from his Roots series, which was inspired by his father Ai Qing’s poem about the underground network of trees that communicate with one another. The sculpture analogizes the deep connections between nature, history, and humanity.
Four toy brick works address significant geopolitical conflicts, including the lifeless body of three-year-old Syrian refugee Alan Kurdi (September 2, 2015), the last U.S. soldier leaving Afghanistan (August 30, 2021), the Nord Stream pipeline explosions (September 2022), and a poster of whistleblower Julian Assange. In After The Death of Marat, Ai has replaced himself with Alan Kurdi, and juxtaposes Kurdi's tragic death with the iconic imagery of Jacques-Louis David’s painting The Death of Marat (1793). Ai draws attention to the human toll of international conflicts and the immediate need for empathy and action in the face of humanitarian crises.
Additionally, Combat Vases, an installation of 90 porcelain helmets, references Germany’s January 2022 offer to send 5,000 helmets to Ukraine in advance of the Russian invasion, widely mocked as insufficient. The installation reflects on the lives of soldiers and civilians caught in conflict, while criticizing symbolic political gestures.
Ai Weiwei's exhibition What You See Is What You See at Faurschou New York is a testament to the artist’s dedication to challenging authority and addressing social and political issues in his art. The exhibition is a powerful reminder of the role art plays in fostering reflection and critical thought, urging us to question the forces shaping our world and our own roles within them.
“We are pleased to welcome Ai Weiwei back to New York, an artist who, like no other, has defended freedom of expression, reminding us time and time again that it is the most crucial foundation of a free world. With the exhibition “What You See Is What You See”, Weiwei emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and critical thinking in a world constantly bombarded with oversimplified narratives and persuasive images.”
Christian Faurschou
ABOUT AI WEIWEI
Ai Weiwei (b. 1957, Beijing, China) leads a diverse and prolific practice that encompasses sculptural installation, filmmaking, photography, ceramics, painting, writing, and social media. A conceptual artist who fuses traditional craftsmanship and his Chinese heritage, Ai Weiwei moves freely between a variety of formal languages to reflect on the contemporary geopolitical and sociopolitical condition. Ai Weiwei’s work and life regularly interact and inform one another, often extending to his activism and advocacy for international human rights.
ABOUT FAURSCHOU
Faurschou is a private museum and art consultancy headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark. Since its inception in 1986, Faurschou has evolved and expanded with the mission of assembling pivotal artworks of exceptional quality and creating ambitious projects and institutions. Through its exhibitions, Faurschou strives to broaden visitors' perspectives by presenting some of the most significant art of our time. The program ranges from solo exhibitions to thematic group shows, often exploring Faurschou’s advancing collection of contemporary art and commissions. In addition to its active loan program, Faurschou currently presents major productions at its independent, non-commercial exhibition space, Faurschou New York, located in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
PRESS
Preview by appointment, October 21-23. For press enquiries, please contact press@faurschou.com
Image: Ai Weiwei and his son, Ai Lao, riding the New York subway in December 2023. Courtesy Ai Weiwei Studio.
