- Costing $423million dollars to make the Beijing National Stadium is the worlds largest steel structure. The design of the building was created by a Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron who submitted 1 of only 13 submissions from various architectural firms. Ai Weiwei played a major role as the artistic consultant and made sure that the design involved unique chinese characteristics. It was given the name "The Birds Nest" as a result of the overall shape and structure of the building.
The building was engineered to show the rest of the world how forward thinking, advanced and innovative and how great the country of China is. However after the building was designed and made Ai Weiwei publicly made his opinions very clear about China. He believed that the structure was like a "pretend smile" meaning that although it was an amazing acheivement on China's behalf, making the country look great, it was actually a distraction from the people of China who have been dictated and who go without liberty in their daily lives.
The problem was that Ai Weiwei had a different set of values from that of the Chinese government. He doesnt believe that a country without democracy could "excite the joys and celebrations of its people" and he asks "When these new security rules are put in place, how can one smile, perform and pose?".
I feel I have the same beliefs and values that Ai Weiwei has, but therefore I personally wouldnt want to help design or take a major role over seeing a project if I strongly disagreed with the values of the people creating it. Maybe he thought that by doing this he would help to attract the world to what is happening in China and overall help these people who are stuck in a communist dictatorship. When asked he said "I did it becuase I love design".
While I think that the building is an amazing architectural accomplishment with overall astonishing beauty, I feel that if I disagreed so strongly with the values of the government I could not be a part of the project becuase it would stand for the total oposite of my personal values.
Would you help be a part of something you didn't believe in and went against your personal set of values?
China's National Stadium, also known as the 'Bird's Nest'for its architecture, was built for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Annually costing 60 million yuan,(approx. 8.9 million U.S dollars)just for maintenance, the 'Bird's Nest' is the world's largest steel structure, costing $423 million to build.
ReplyDeleteWell known Chinese designer Ai Weiwei, teamed up with Swiss Architects, Herzog & de Meuron who are collaborated with ArupSport and China Architecture Design & Research Group, to successfully design and build the 'Bird's Nest'. Ai played a critical role in pushing the design to have unique Chinese characteristics. Saying he "did it because I love design and the idea of how it would be looked by others."
Raised in a Labour Camp in China's remote northwestern region of Xinjiang, after his father, Ai Qing - himself regarded as one of China's finest modern poets - was dismissed in the 1950's after being denounced as "an enemy of the state and a rightest",
Ai developed a past that he is longed to forget. His values are traditonal and he believes that China being a Communist country has developed many of the problems involving the poverty and corruption which is still going on in China today. When asked what China is trying to hide, Ai said "there are too many things, the whole political structure, the condition of Civil Rights, corruption, pollution, education, you name it!" Ai believes the beauty of the 'Bird's Nest' creates a 'pretend smile', to the rest of the world, promoting things like free spirit and happiness, which to Ai seems the complete oposite of what China is really facing.
I agree with Imogen about the problem being that Ai Weiwei's values are different from that of the Chinese government. What they are concerned about is making sure the experience for China and the rest of the world life changing at the Olympics. Forgetting about the hundreds of homeless people in China who lost a place to live, and the millions of dollars spent on the stadium which could've gone in to re-building China and the lives of the citizens. Ai's critisim stands in contrast to the upsurge in the national pride the Olympics has generated. Accussing those who choreographed the Olympic opening ceremony saying, "it's disgusting. I don't like anyone who shamelessly abuses their profession, who makes no moral judgement." To me this is taking it too far, the Olympics opening ceremony was absolutely amazing, for someone like me who didn't know that much about China, the dancing and drums showed me a lot about the traditional past times.
Along with Imogen, I too feel the stadium is an amazing architectural accomplishment that has so much beauty.
Maybe Ai did feel that by helping with the design of the 'Bird's Nest', he would draw the world to see the problems that are still happenening in China today, and help those who are stuck in a communist dictatorship? I feel he went about it the wrong way and if that is what he was hoping, he shouldn't have taken on such a challenging project if he can't see past the troubles in China that have been going on for decades, and move on to something that is creating a future for the country.
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I agree with Imogen; Ai Weiwei is obviously a well respected designer and if he were to have expressed his opinions of china’s government values by making a stand and not following through with helping them make an amazingly good cover up for society (producing this ‘fake smile’) then maybe that would have made it more obvious to the world that there was a problem here. I think he has done the opposite of helped his country, I think he has denied his country of a perfect way to convey the naked truth of china’s society issues. Apart from the values and opinions behind the making of this ‘birds nest’ I think Ai Weiwei did an amazing job and created a stunning work of art.
ReplyDeleteI agree totally with Imogen; Ai Wei Wei is being ridiculously hypocritical in his stand with the birds nest. He should never been a part of the project if that is how he felt as it completely undermines his arguments. It's not like he was a small player just doing what he was told to do by his boss, he was a major designer. His input directly helped create the piece of architecture he then deems a cover up the the real issues in china. If Ai Wei Wei was trying to draw attention to the issues then it was a pointless effort. Why would people listen to a man talking about how the building shows a fake view of China and hides the real problems going on when he helped make it. He says "I did it because I love design" No you didn't, you did it for the big fat pay check! This is a classic case of a question of conscience. You either take the job (money) or you take the moral high road. You can't choose both.
ReplyDeleteHey Imogen,
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question at the end of your blog, to be honest I probably would participate in the project. I would do it because at the end of the day the Olympics is a special event created not for the benefit of China but to celebrate those who excel in physical challenges.
I believe Ai WeiWei initially had thoughts in his mind that China would look at the Olymipics as a stepping stone to establish a free-thinking country. It was really HOPE that I can see Ai WeiWei had for China, which gave him that much needed push to continue working on this project.
I think also he was actually being unselfish using his talents for the benefit of other human beings.
Hey Imogen,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your comments stating that Ai Weirei shouldnt have done taken on such a large role in this project if he didnt personally believe in it. Saying that however I must add that in most careers at some point in time you may have to put your personal views aside and focus on what the client asking for.
I believe Ai Weirei done a good job of putting his personal views aside and finished with amazing results.
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ReplyDeleteI AGREE WITH IMOGEN BECAUSE AI WEIWEI IS A GREAT DESIGNER AND HE WANTS PEOPLE TO CELEBRATE FREELY, NOT 'FAKE SMILE'.
ReplyDeleteHIS BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT WAS THAT CHINA GOVERNMENT HAS FALLEN SHORT OF ITS PROMISES, WHICH IS, "ONE WORLD ONE DREAM" AND TO SHOW THE WORLD IS A "NEW CHINA, NEW BEIJING, NEW OLYMPICS." BUT HE DOUBT THERE WAS ANYTHING NEW.
CHINA IS A DEMOCRACY COUNTRY.
IT IS A GOOD FOR SOME PEOPLE BUT, OTHERWISE IT MAKES PEOPLE CANT DO ANYTHING WHAT THEY WANT TO DO, LIKE A ROBERT.
AS WELL AS, THE BIRDS NEST STADIUM IS A GREAT STADIUM IN THE WORLD AND IT COSTS LOTS. I LIKE AI WEIWEI'S WAY OF DESIGNING BECAUSE HE SHOWS AND EXPRESS THE CHINA CULTURE THROUGHLY.
ALSO, THE OPENING CEREMONY WAS GREAT!!!!!lol
I agree with some part of your opinion that artists shouldn’t help design or be participated in that huge project like celebrating Olympic game. After thinking, although Ai Weiwei designed amazing building on purpose of showing his opinion against Chinese government, It is true that he gave a chance to think about current situation of China to people who saw that brilliant art work. Whatever people think about his intention, I could tell that he did good job as a person who can tell his thought using his ability. If I can help be part of something like what he did with that such a big influence to public, I would like to be part of that as an artist.
ReplyDeleteI agreed with Imogen`s opinion that related with mine.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading why Ai Weiwei's philosophies are different from the chinese government.
What i thougth this building`s beutiful and so amazing archetectural accomplishment with overall astonishing beauty, and I also like the described Bird`s Nest.