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A review by paisleygreen
Zodiac: A Graphic Memoir by Ai Weiwei
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
"We do not cooperate with anyone, anything. This is a challenge to all the powers, authorities, and the system. It is small yet not to be ignored, like a nail in the eye, a thorn in the flesh, a little grain of sand in the shoe—it reflects a valuable cultural spirit." - Ai Weiwei, interview for Art World Magazine
Zodiac is a graphic memoir by one of our greatest contemporary artists, Ai Weiwei, whose political art and anti-oppression activism has often stirred up what the late John Lewis called "good trouble". The art, by Gianluca Costantini, is evocative, and the book is organized into 12 chapters that reflect the Chinese zodiac signs; the stories within each chapter evoke some aspect of that animal. It's a great introduction to Ai's biography, from growing up in Mao's China, to discovering art as a tool of self-expression and activism, to being detained for his art. I think anyone who's familiar with Ai Weiwei's work, or who hasn't heard of it yet, would enjoy this book.
I had two wishes for this book: 1) that Ai Weiwei would contribute to the art of the memoir in some way. Costantini did a great job of bringing Ai's life and art to the page, but Ai Weiwei is an artist, and I wish he brought some of his own talents to this graphic memoir format. 2) That this memoir went into more depth about Ai Weiwei's emotions. It's a great manifesto for the power and purpose of art in contemporary society, but as a memoir, I wished he'd had deeper introspection on parts of his life that informed his art.
Overall, though, I very much enjoyed this graphic memoir. Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
"Any artist who isn't an activist is a dead artist. I try to create works with honesty and that bear relationship to my life, to reflect the place and time in which I live. I hope that when future generations see my work, they will understand my struggle as an artist. I hope that they will be conscious of artists' efforts to protect freedom of speech and expression." - p. 165
Zodiac is a graphic memoir by one of our greatest contemporary artists, Ai Weiwei, whose political art and anti-oppression activism has often stirred up what the late John Lewis called "good trouble". The art, by Gianluca Costantini, is evocative, and the book is organized into 12 chapters that reflect the Chinese zodiac signs; the stories within each chapter evoke some aspect of that animal. It's a great introduction to Ai's biography, from growing up in Mao's China, to discovering art as a tool of self-expression and activism, to being detained for his art. I think anyone who's familiar with Ai Weiwei's work, or who hasn't heard of it yet, would enjoy this book.
I had two wishes for this book: 1) that Ai Weiwei would contribute to the art of the memoir in some way. Costantini did a great job of bringing Ai's life and art to the page, but Ai Weiwei is an artist, and I wish he brought some of his own talents to this graphic memoir format. 2) That this memoir went into more depth about Ai Weiwei's emotions. It's a great manifesto for the power and purpose of art in contemporary society, but as a memoir, I wished he'd had deeper introspection on parts of his life that informed his art.
Overall, though, I very much enjoyed this graphic memoir. Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
"Any artist who isn't an activist is a dead artist. I try to create works with honesty and that bear relationship to my life, to reflect the place and time in which I live. I hope that when future generations see my work, they will understand my struggle as an artist. I hope that they will be conscious of artists' efforts to protect freedom of speech and expression." - p. 165