Ai Wei Wei at the Royal Academy of Arts

Ai Wei Wei at the Royal Academy of Arts 

The very first exhibition i went to before the start of my third and last year on my Bachelor degree in fine art was the Ai Wei Wei exhibition taking place at the RA. 

Ai Wei Wei is an Art phenomenon, he has reached far out into the world with his voice against political issues and stunned us as he tells us about his life. 

What ill do is show you a few images of this exhibition but i really recommend that if you're not too late, you should go and experience this yourself. 

His work truly fascinated me, this was an exhibition you just don't forget about. 

One thing the RA did that made the visit even more pleasurable was that in every ticket purchase was a free headset audio discussing each piece individually plus some other interviews, documented images and videos about Ai Wei Wei and his life. This headset secluded us away from the audience and noise and kept us completely focused on the exhibition itself. I found this extremely absorbing. 

I always wanted to see one of these vases up front, this was a first. 

I find it fascinating how Wei Wei can destroy something so fragile, unique and historical simply to give birth, create, translate it to this contemporary piece of work. 

i mean the vases he paints on or dips in industrial paint are Han Dynasty Urns or Neolithic vases that can be dated back 5000-3500 BC. 

Looking at these, it made connections toward my current practice which revolves around street art, graffiti. Graffiti on walls are continually destroyed to reproduce new work, this is how i see it. For something new to be created something first has to be destroyed. To create is to destroy. 

Marble work... beautifully executed. 

By the way, this cube above me is made out of tea leaves... yeah... tea leaves. 

Jade Handcuffs, he discusses his time when arrested by the police.

This was  still performance/sculptural piece, inside every box is a stage made by Wei Wei to describe his time when held by officials. Peek inside the boxes to see, almost like peeking into his life, his past, his timeline, to this time. 

Very detailed

I can say that this was my favourite exhibition this year of 2015, no doubt. An experience no person should miss.