Art World
Is Ai Weiwei Moving to Berlin?
Henri Neuendorf
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Ever since Chinese authorities returned Ai Weiwei’s passport after having confiscated it four years ago, the art world has been asking where the artist will travel to first.
Soon after the news broke last week, Ai’s associate and founder of AW Asia, Larry Warsh, who was with the artist when he picked up his passport, told the Los Angeles Times that the dissident artist plans to travel to Berlin “to see his son.”
Soon afterwards, Ai confirmed his plans, telling the New York Times that he would travel to Germany “as soon as I get a visa.”
The artist has close ties to the country’s art scene having exhibited at the German pavilion at the 2013 Venice Biennial.
Photo: via abc.net.au.
Meanwhile, Berlin’s art scene is already speculating whether Ai is getting ready to move to the German capital.
Ai’s six-year-old son Ai Lao and his son’s mother Wang Fen, already live in the city. He also has a studio in the green and trendy district of Prenzlauer Berg.
Then there’s the artist’s residency at Berlin’s UDK art school, which he has been unable to take up due to his travel restrictions. In a radio interview with RBB, UDK president Professor Martin Rennert said, “He is an Einstein-professor; he will be here for three years,” although he admitted “I’m not sure when” the artist will arrive in Germany.
Rennert added, “There’s a large number of students from sculpture and other areas who are interested in Ai Weiwei’s perspective on art…we will see what the outcome is.”
Ai has a three-year residency as a guest professor at Berlin’s UDK art school.
Photo: via berlin.de.
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