Ai Weiwei's Art Uses Life Jackets to Address the Refugee Crisis
Erica Francis — July 20, 2016 — Art & Design
References: news.artnet & highsnobiety
Ai Weiwei's art can be beautiful but also controversial. As both an artist and an activist, his work touches on gritty hard-hitting political topics. His latest art installation, 'F. Lotus', is placed in a massive pond at Vienna's Belvedere Palace. The contemporary piece was created to address and speak out against the refugee crisis happening in Europe.
The floating installation is comprised of 1,005 life jackets found on the Greek island Lesbos. To give the impression of the lotuses, Weiwei created numerous circular patterns by tying five life jackets together to represent each flower. As the name suggests, the 201 circles were laid out to form the letter "F."
Ai Weiwei's art has received considerable media attention and some companies have used that to their advantage. Art galleries around the world have presented his work in special collections and charged patrons premium prices to get a view. A documentary was made on the artist, which eventually got picked up by Netflix and major online retailers like iTunes and Amazon.
The floating installation is comprised of 1,005 life jackets found on the Greek island Lesbos. To give the impression of the lotuses, Weiwei created numerous circular patterns by tying five life jackets together to represent each flower. As the name suggests, the 201 circles were laid out to form the letter "F."
Ai Weiwei's art has received considerable media attention and some companies have used that to their advantage. Art galleries around the world have presented his work in special collections and charged patrons premium prices to get a view. A documentary was made on the artist, which eventually got picked up by Netflix and major online retailers like iTunes and Amazon.
Trend Themes
1. Refugee Crisis Art - Art installations that address the refugee crisis through powerful visuals and creative storytelling have the potential to increase awareness and spark meaningful conversations.
2. Socially Conscious Activism - Artists and activists that use their platform to bring attention to gritty and hard-hitting political topics can inspire similar movements and create long-lasting change.
3. Controversial Art Marketing - Controversial art installations can be marketed by galleries and entertainment companies as a way to attract niche audiences and generate revenue through premium pricing and distribution deals.
Industry Implications
1. Art Galleries - Art galleries can take advantage of controversial art installations to attract patrons and create buzz around the artist's work.
2. Social Activism - Businesses that prioritize social consciousness and activism can collaborate with artists to create campaigns that raise awareness and inspire change around important political topics.
3. Entertainment Streaming Services - Streaming services like Netflix and Amazon can acquire and distribute documentaries about controversial artists like Ai Weiwei to cater to niche audiences and generate revenue through subscriptions and rentals.
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