PUBLISHER
Three Shadows Press Limitied

BOOK FORMAT
Clth, 11.25 x 11.25 in. / 313 pgs / 227 bw.

PUBLISHING STATUS
Pub Date 1/31/2012
Out of print

DISTRIBUTION
D.A.P. Exclusive
Catalog: SPRING 2012 p. 75

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN 9789889966782 TRADE
List Price: $125.00 CDN $150.00

AVAILABILITY
Not available

EXHIBITION SCHEDULE

Berlin, Germany
Martin-Gropius-Bau, 10/15/11-03/18/12

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Preview our Fall 2023 catalog, featuring more than 500 new books on art, photography, design, architecture, film, music and visual culture.

THREE SHADOWS PRESS LIMITIED

Ai Weiwei: New York Photographs 1983-1993

Edited by Mao Weidong, Stephanie H. Tung, John Tancock, Christophe Mao. Introduction by RongRong, Christophe Mao. Text by John Tancock, Stephanie H. Tung. Interview by Stephanie H. Tung, Alison Klayman.

This selection of 227 photographs taken by Ai Weiwei (born 1957) during his early years living on New York City’s Lower East Side between 1983 and 1993, provides invaluable insights into the formative years of China’s most celebrated and controversial contemporary artist. The photographs document Ai Weiwei’s own development as an artist and public figure in New York, as well as the transformation of the East Village from a desolate scene of urban blight into a desirable residential neighborhood, also capturing along the way significant events such as the Tompkins Square Park riots and the AIDS epidemic. Over four years in preparation, and published here for the first time, these photographs are edited and digitized from a massive trove of more than 10,000 photographs from Ai Weiwei’s New York years, and collectively constitute a visual autobiography of this formative period in his life.

PRAISE AND REVIEWS

American Photo

Years before Ai Weiwei made headlines (and became one of Time's 2011 Most Influential People) as a detainee of the Chinese government, the artist and activist spent a decade living in New York City's East Village. There he shot more than 10,000 photographs. This collection distills his view of American culture, juxtaposing everyday scenes against countercultural movements such as the riot in Tompkins Square Park, and offers us a revealing look at his artistic influences.