Walking in the center of Florence today you cannot miss the facade of the Palazzo Strozzi.
Before entering the building Ai Weiwei’s installation begins to signal that you are about to see an exhibit unlike any that has been housed in this historic venue. The contemporary Chinese artist and activist has been allowed use of the entire building and museum, which is a first in its history. He is considered the most famous living artist in China, and many think the world.
This is an exhibit that requires you to look beyond the objects that he uses, into their metaphorical meaning. These are not just rubber life boats that are hung on the Strozzi but rather a loud statement of the plight of immigrants today.
His statements, which are enlarged and displayed in the lower level Strozzina gallery are provocative.
His statement,”Everything is art. Everything is political” gives us a deeper meaning into the title of his exhibit: Libero/Free.
950 bikes are “stacked” symbolizing the freedom that allows the Chinese people to be mobile; the freedom to move about.
Some of the display rooms are covered in wallpaper designed by Weiwei. In the photo of a section of the wallpaper you see that he has made a statement against censorship. Note the surveillance cameras with the Twitter symbol in the middle.
“If we didn’t have this technology, I would be the same as everyone else I couldn’t really amplify my voice”
A most chilling installation is”The Snake Bag”, created after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, where thousands lost their lives. 360 identical backpacks are stitched together in memory of the school children lost there. (a strong protest against the Chinese government, which tried to cover up the scandal of unsafely constructed buildings.)
How is this food for thought: He Xie, river crabs, created in 2011. As a response to the government destroying his art studio Ai Weiwei invited guests to a banquet where he served river crabs, the symbol of tyranny. This installation is made up of hundreds of porcelain river crabs
Ai Weiwei also revisits the Italian Renaissance paying homage to the political dissidents of that era, Dante, Savonarola, Galileo and Filippo Strozzi. The Palazzo was built by Strozzi after he returned. He wanted to build a bigger palace to show them!
Below, Dante designed in Legos!
The artist, breaking a 2,000 year old Han dynasty urn rendered in legos:
Personally, to have seen this exhibit in a time of political turmoil in my own country was sobering, yet hopeful.
The exhibit is on untill January 22, 2017.
If in Florence do not miss it.
fondlyfromflorence&beyond 