I did not know about this, and feel enlightened to learn about it through your blog. Thank you!
I'm glad you enjoyed the post. Thanks for reading.
Interesting concept and very timely given the political context on both sides of the Atlantic. I particularly like the lamp post banners too. There must have been so much work went into this. Very impressive.
15 miles!!! There was poetry in all the names of places you visited, familiar to me only through reading. What an installation: it must be a world record for sheer volume. You've given a wonderful sense of its scope through your photos and commentary. All those stories implied by the series of banners. What a gift to be able to see this through your camera. And then, the surprise coda! What a birthday gift. Thank you so much. I had tears in my eyes when I saw the dedication.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Happy birthday again!
The funny thing is that last weekend when I was walking the weather was lovely, and I only had to wear a sweater. Now it's bitter cold and windy, with temperatures below freezing. But the Christmas decorations are starting to pop up, so at least it feels like the holidays are approaching.
I love the concept of public art. In the town where I live, developers are required to use 1% of the cost of their building project on a piece of public art for a space somewhere (publicly accessible) on their property.
As Anabel commented above, this one is a timely commentary on current events. I particularly like the banner with the refugees waking to safety. It's evocative of so many incidents in history.
NYC has a law that requires 1% of the budget for all city-funded construction projects to be used for public art projects, and it certainly has enriched the city's public life. I think it's a wonderful thing when cities recognize the importance of art to their communities.
What an incredible exhibition, but as you say thank goodness it is on for so long . . . going to take a while to get round. Guess though the journey of exploring it is part of the experience, and helps highlight the plight of refugees. Their journeys are far worse.
Thank you so so much for sharing, we are hearing so few positive stories about the USA at the moment that seeing this helps restore my faith in the US.
I'm glad you enjoyed the post. I have to admit I get discouraged sometimes about the current state of affairs, but then I'm constantly reminded that many of the things on the news really don't represent who we are as Americans. There is still a lot of good out there, and strong resistance to the negativity that has emerged in the past year.
It's so positive to hear that . . . .
Great post and lots of walking and work to pull it all together.
It definitely has to have been a major undertaking to complete the entire exhibition. I too wonder what will happen afterwards.
It's amazing to me the freedom with which Ai Weiwei can continue his work, considering the repression he has to deal with at home in China. Thanks for including so many banners.
From reading the exhibition details on the website, it's clear that Ai Weiwei's own experiences informed this art. As impressive as the metal pieces are, my favorite pieces are the banners – I'm glad you enjoyed them as well.
This looks like a very cool (and elaborate) installation! I love city-wide stuff like this, where finding all the pieces feels like a treasure hunt.
It makes the art feel a lot more interactive, doesn't it? I'm enjoying this one a lot, and I think I will be hunting for pieces for the entire time of the exhibition. Every time I have to go somewhere in the city, I look at the map to see if anything will be close by.