Tisíc let radostí a smutků – Weiwei Ai (2023)

The book of the most famous contemporary Chinese artist far exceeds a typical memoir. The narrative begins long before Ai Weiwei came into the world. The stories of Ai's father, the esteemed lyrical poet Ai Qing, and Weiwei himself unfold against the broad canvas of Chinese history over the last century. They mirror each other against the backdrop of historical upheavals. Just as the father left for artistic inspiration in Paris at a young age, the son chooses to escape Chinese reality to the United States, meeting Allen Ginsberg and discovering Andy Warhol. Like Ai Qing, a close collaborator of Mao Zedong, who shared the troubled fate of the leftist avant-garde in exile during the Cultural Revolution, Ai Weiwei also confronts the regime due to his social engagement. The author also depicts the Chinese art scene at the turn of the millennium and the conditions in China after the suppression of the democratic movement, as well as his own efforts for free artistic expression. At the same time, he guides us through his own works, which include sculptures, photographs, films, and architectural pieces.