Ai Weiwei - Contemporary Chinese Artist

  While taking one of the most unique 20th century theory courses a few years ago, I learned the value of looking at world events, history, and other forms of art which contribute to the development of music or inspire composers.

   One such individual, Ai Weiwei, has been someone I've kept an eye on. I was first drawn to him after learning he was involved in the construction of the Beijing National Stadium - otherwise known as the Bird's Nest, which was used in the 2008 Summer Olympics. Other than an architect, he is a contemporary artist, photographer, curator,and a social, political, and cultural critic - quite frankly, he does everything. A man who is truly fearless in his words and his art - so much that the Chinese government keep close watch over him.

    I love seeing his works through the internet (for example, my favorite of his works, Sunflower Seeds, as shown in the picture above) and I hope to model how active he is on the internet as a composer - perhaps not his activities. I won't really bother with his history so much as it is contained mostly in this BBC documentary I watched late last year: