The artist-activist Ai Weiwei rose to international prominence this spring when he was detained at the Beijing airport. He’s now widely known for using his blog and Twitter account to speak out against the injustices of the Chinese government. He is less well known, however, as a New Yorker.
A new photography show at the Asia Society features 227 photographs, selected from a collection of over 10,000, taken by the artist during a decade spent living in a small apartment in Manhattan’s East Village (1983-1993).
Ai claims that he was bored during this period of time, but the photos paint a different picture. From a quiet moment shared by neighbors Allen Ginsberg and Robert Frank to riots in Tompkins Square Park, the story here seems to be of a curious and confident young artist navigating a city with an equally outsized personality. The show suggests that New York left its mark on Ai, and certainly no one will contest today that Ai has left his mark on New York.
Ai Weiwei: New York Photographs 1983-1993 will be on view at the Asia Society until 14 August 2011.
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