Looky here, with Amir

A word about the ‘A’ word published monthy, as series of articles and editorials...

by Amir Dehghan “Parrhesia”, a term developed by Michel Foucault, borrowed from Greek terminology. The term describes the obligation to speak the truth for the common good, even at personal risk. In a world of fake news and disinformation, Ai Weiwei imitates the mimicry the CCP champions in response to globalisation in his current show at Cambridge’s Kettle’s yard. Weiwei juxtaposes Chinese antiquities with his own artworks, carbon copies of the antiquities collaged with post-consumerist imagery. Ai swings the spotlight on the CCP, a critique on the CCPs integrity throughout China’s ultrasonic development; in the process, reinforcing the infamous blockade that denies him access to China.

In a conversation at his private view, Weiwei jokingly said, “According to the Guardian, I’m not even an Artist, don’t know what china’s problem is with me” in response to the Guardian’s critique on him... All jokes aside, Weiwei has a history of back-handing his heritage, poking at it with his middle finger with the aim of unearthing the cracks throughout China’s past and current affairs. From His most controversial 1994 work, “Dropping a Han dynasty urn”, dropping a 2,000-yearold Chinese Vase*, caught in a series of photographs, a reminder of the evils of the Mao, to his current show, which exhibits multiple counterfeits of historical antiquities, a query into the CCP’s definition authenticity in the age of consumerism.

Ai Weiwei is a political provocateur; he embodies philosopher Michael Foucault’s “Parresiasttes”, Ai places his relationship and access to home (China) secondary, ever since he went under self-imposed exile in 2018 focusing now on uttering the raw truth for the greater good. Kettles Yard is one of his strongest critiques yet, an act of pure bravery. In his current show, Weiwei demonstrates how legitimacy contrasts between the West and the East; he has shown antiquated Chinese craftsmanships at auction alongside his own works, commissioned to imitate the more seasoned works such as a vase with a winged serpent on it that’s based on a centuries ancient relic but was made as of late. His lack of abstraction to the addition of antiquities shows confidence that Foucault would commend. Wherever you stand on the CCP’s issues, it’s clear Ai makes statements that he feels strongly about, irrespective of how it’s likely to go down with either his supporters or detractors, it’s clear he is an artist who speaks his mind and is willing to offend those across the political spectrum on issues he feels strongly about.

Upstairs, Weiwei has a selection of videos that sheds light on his previous work, setting his tone for those folk that don’t know about his history of creative disruption. In the history of Chinese social cinema, Ai has part: his movies on the 2008 Sichuan seismic tremor and the annihilation amplified by the state’s disappointments emphasised the right of the citizen to confront power, constantly shoving the camera in front of figures of supposed responsibility. That jagged naturalism — of the defiant activist wielding a mobile camera — has slipped away. The stronger sculptures, on the other hand, deal with contemporary global issues, “the paradox of forgery is that art often requires some measure of self-deception”, Weiwei reminds us of the craftsmanship behind the art forgery market whilst poetically bringing to light the cracks within the CCPs authenticity and integrity throughout China’s turbulent incline.p

The presentation contains capable works and a few that miss the check – reproducing a sex toy in jade is fun but feels puerile compared to the more heavyweight pieces, though any chance to see Ai’s thought inciting works ought to be lapped up, as he’s a parrhesiastes that we can all learn from, a modern day Sun Yat-Sen. Both are a show that provokes us to question the realities we all gaze at whilst also critiquing and shedding light on the flaws within his home country.