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Ai Weiwei's "Sunflower Seeds" : A Marxist Approach

In more concrete terms approaching a literary text or an artistic work through using marxism a theoretical tool leads to reflect about the "text(content) / context" relationship.
The context proves to be a key element in understanding the content in its ideological expression.

it is important to consider Ai Weiwei's oeuvre in general and understand his artistic ideologies before tackling his artistic installation  Sunflower Seeds:









It becomes clear through his oeuvre and through his interviews that Ai Weiwei is a socialist realist artist. He is committed. He does not see art in terms of beauty but in terms of consciousness. He is committed be the voice of the voiceless those whose voice has been taken away from by fear and terror. Humanitarianism and cultural conservatism seem to be two recurring ideologies in his art. His commitment is not at the service of dominant discourses but rather anti-propagandist. He reacts against totalitarianism in all its forms. He is unstoppable standing for the causes that he defends at the detriment of his own wellbeing and freedom. His art is not an art for art's sake. It is an art with purpose and it is progressivist in its nature because it aims at making a change. It is reactionary and stands against the status quo. It deals with reality as it is but manages to be optimistic in offering solutions and aiming at raising awareness. His art is made accessible to the masses mainly for that purpose of changing things to the better.

Having now a look at his artistic installation Sunflower Seeds




In Marxism it is important to consider the content, its context and the ideological implication of the relationship between the two. In other words, we are concerned with what the work of art is about, the context in which it has been created, and how does the content of work of art relate to that context (i.e. does it consolidate it or does it contradict and react against it).

The Sunflower Seeds is about millions and millions of fake sunflower seeds made of porcelaine (China's most symbolic raw material). The work of art is not squeezed into the exhibition part only but the whole making of The Sunflower Seeds is a significant part of the work. The process where by the seeds were made is a traditional, rudimentary, artisanal one. It is a slow chain of production. These are hand made sunflower seeds. Each seed is unique. No two seeds are the same and are skillfully crafted that they look unbelievably real.

The Context in which this work is made is capitalist, industrial, westernized China where automation replaced Chinese craftsmanship. An automation resulting in the fast, massive production of identical, low quality products.

The work of art stands in sharp contrast with its context. Ai Weiwei aims clearly at making a reactionary statement through his art. He counter mirrors reality for the sake of criticizing it by highlighting the negative aspects of that reality. This counter representation of reality reveals his conservatism. His ideology of conservatism (that is clearly expressed through that contrast between the content and the context) rethinks and revises the made in China label.
In his made in China that is made of china (China's most refined skill as history asserts it), he pushes us to question the current image that the world has of Chinese products. He highlights the difference between the real China and the westernized China restoring by that the image of China and Chinese culture.

There is also another ideology feeding the work of Ai Weiwei and it is his humanitarisme. Through his oeuvre he has always fought for human dignity. Through the choice of the traditional Chinese process of production he has also restored the image of China and Chinese culture by showing that it is a culture that has respect for the working class and the artisans in not overexploiting them and valuing their work as well as preserving their dignity.  

     







  

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