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A review by rebus
Zodiac: A Graphic Memoir by Ai Weiwei
0.25
The art is nearly as depthless and bland as the ideology contained within the narrative, another narcissist who believes that Art drives change in society, when in fact it's really just self serving and not about any fight for freedom (proven by the narcissistic manner in which he refers to himself throughout as 'we' in the third person plural). It's discursive and unfocused and lacking in any sort of insight about true oppression--he's clearly very well off and always had some sort of class privilege, even in his repressive culture--not to mention very little insight about Art.
There are some true things to go along with the idiotic theming of the book around the Chinese zodiac. Weiwei says that fear is the most productive tool in a society and that it acts as a brake on Art, yet he still believes Art has the power to change this political structure (society started out fascist and is more so than ever). I agree that Art should oppose repetition and that it teaches us to embrace more dangerous ways of experiencing ourselves, yet he has the privilege to travel the world in luxury and virtue signal (while not recognizing the modern 'truths' that are the true, and not the perceived, bullying). Neruda's dog, by the way, asked questions any 8th grade science student could answer, yet Weiwei thinks it's profound poetry.
He may be correct that any artist who isn't an activist is a dead artist--I hope he means dead inside and not that every artist who ever lived was an activist, which is clearly not the case--but he is no more fighting for freedom than any self serving artist who is only working in order to eat (and producing bland establishment work for the most part).
I have no interest in exploring any of his work further.
There are some true things to go along with the idiotic theming of the book around the Chinese zodiac. Weiwei says that fear is the most productive tool in a society and that it acts as a brake on Art, yet he still believes Art has the power to change this political structure (society started out fascist and is more so than ever). I agree that Art should oppose repetition and that it teaches us to embrace more dangerous ways of experiencing ourselves, yet he has the privilege to travel the world in luxury and virtue signal (while not recognizing the modern 'truths' that are the true, and not the perceived, bullying). Neruda's dog, by the way, asked questions any 8th grade science student could answer, yet Weiwei thinks it's profound poetry.
He may be correct that any artist who isn't an activist is a dead artist--I hope he means dead inside and not that every artist who ever lived was an activist, which is clearly not the case--but he is no more fighting for freedom than any self serving artist who is only working in order to eat (and producing bland establishment work for the most part).
I have no interest in exploring any of his work further.