Ai Weiwei ( EYE way-WAY; Chinese: 艾未未; pinyin: Ài Wèiwèi, IPA: [âɪ wêɪ.wêɪ]; born 28 August 1957) is a Chinese contemporary artist, documentarian, and activist. Ai grew up in the far northwest of China, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his father's exile. As an activist, he has been openly critical of the Chinese Government's stance on democracy and human rights. He investigated government corruption and cover-ups, in particular the Sichuan schools corruption scandal following the collapse of "tofu-dreg schools" in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. In April 2011, Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport for "economic crimes," and detained for 81 days without charge. Ai Weiwei emerged as a vital instigator in Chinese cultural development, an architect of Chinese modernism, and one of the nation's most vocal political commentators.

Ai Weiwei encapsulates political conviction and poetry in his many sculptures, photographs, and public works. Since being allowed to leave China in 2015, he has lived in Portugal, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

———————————————————————————————————-

Delve into the realm where artistic vision intertwines with technological innovation in this meticulously crafted series of 81 silkscreen prints by Ai Weiwei.

Each print, hand-signed and adorned with a delicately embossed layer, bears witness to the seamless fusion of human creativity and the limitless potential of artificial intelligence (AI).

Spanning a duration mirroring Ai's own period of confinement, these 81 prints serve as a profound exploration of existential inquiry. Across 81 days, Ai Weiwei posed 81 Questions to both AI and society, contemplating humanity's place amidst a landscape of rapid change and technological evolution. ″This is not about freedom of speech. This is about freedom of questions,″ emphasises Ai, highlighting the profound significance of inquiry in an era marked by uncertainty.

In tandem with the concurrent CIRCA exhibition Ai vs AI, this collection of 81 Questions stands as a testament to the enduring pursuit of knowledge. It beckons viewers into an ongoing dialogue, inviting introspection and discourse. Within each print, the meticulously laid-out letters are composed using Lego bricks, meticulously arranged on a grid reminiscent of the iconic base plate. This innovative approach seamlessly merges art and technology, resulting in a captivating and thought-provoking commentary on the contemporary human experience. *Written by ChatGPT