The Kunsthaus in Bregenz, Austria explores the architectural work of Ai Weiwei with a solo show titled Art / Architecture. While not as widely presented as his artistic oeuvre, Ai Weiwei's work in the field of architecture is extremely important for the artist because of the collaborative - that is social and political - aspect of it.
On three floors of architect Peter Zumthor's Kunsthaus building, the exhibition focuses on Ai Weiwei's collaborative architecture projects such as the Beijing National Stadium (colloquially as the Bird's Nest), developed in collaboration with the Pritzker price winning architects Herzog & de Meuron, but also numerous projects with lesser known architects.
This video takes you on a walk through the exhibition. The tour begins on the first floor with architectural models, plans, photographs and video documentations of specific projects, continues on the second floor with Ordos 100 (2011), a piece specifically created for this show, and finally culminates with the most abstract work of the show, Moon Chest (2008).
VernissageTV also met with the director of the Kunsthaus Bregenz, Yilmaz Dziewior, who talks about the idea behind the show, the concept of the exhibition, the significance of Ai Weiwei's architectural work, and the supporting program.