Art, activism and the geopolitical imagination: Ai Weiwei's ‘Sunflower Seeds’

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis article focuses upon the artistic practice of internationally renowned Chinese artist Ai Weiwei and his installation ‘Sunflower Seeds’ (2010–11) that took place as part of London Tate Modern's Unilever Series. Simone considers how Ai's place-based installation works in tandem with his media-centric tactics to both reproduce and challenge dominant western geopolitical imaginations (Dittmer 2010) of China and ‘Chineseness’. She argues that Ai uses his success and status as an pinternational artist and activist to perform a simultaneous Chinese and global identity, an identity that is self-consciously narrated and performed through global communications media. Ai actively facilitates his own transnational networks — mainly via the Internet and followers of his work — in order to disseminate information, maintain visibility and, most vitally, communicate freedom of expression as both a Chinese national and global citizen. Simone uncovers how Ai encourages his audiences to question their own ethical imperative to act, speak or protest on behalf of the Chinese (global) citizen by unveiling politico-economic connections between western and eastern citizens and forging material and imagined proximity.