February 21, 2013

Visiting Ai Weiwei's Exhibit - "According to What?"

This past Monday, on Presidents' Day, I decided to take the train from Penn Station in New York City to Union Station in Washington DC with a few friends.  The reason for the trip was to visit the Ai Weiwei exhibit at the The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden next to the National Mall.  Ai Weiwei is, of course, one of the most important figures in the Chinese world of contemporary art and architecture.  Ai is also a political activist who speaks openly about the Chinese Government's stance on democracy and human rights.  A couple of years ago, he was arrested in Beijing and was held for more than two months without any official charges made.  Sadly, Ai was unable to attend the opening of his latest exhibit because his passport is being held by the Chinese authorities, as part of his ongoing legal troubles.  I have always been a big fan of Ai's art and you may recall a blog I posted about his outdoor exhibit in Manhattan's Central Park called "Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads."  Please enjoy my photos taken at the Hirshhorn Museum and please click here to revisit the Central Park blog, which also includes photos of when I visited Ai Weiwei at his inspirational studio while traveling in Beijing in 2007.  To watch a great Frontline PBS documentary about Ai Weiwei, click here.

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