Portable tent
Germany, 2013
Ai Weiwei (born 1957) - Chinese conceptual artist, sculptor and curator
Project ‘Aus der Aufklärung’ [From the Enlightenment] as a contribution to the exhibition ‘Emscherkunst’; series of about 1000 tents with 10 different designs
Classic igloo shape, with polyhedron décor, marked with the label of Emscherkunst/Ai Weiwei
1 of 100 copies
Original packaging and fanfold ‘Emscherkunst.2013, Kunst- und Radkarte’ (included roadmap)
Dimensions, when assembled: approx. 110 x 250 x 210 cm
Very good condition
Provenance: Private collection, Germany
The controversial artist Ai Weiwei is currently the most famous contemporary Chinese artist. The present highest auction record for an installation object by Ai Weiwei is more than €850,000

In 2013, the dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei (born 1957) realized a project for the ‘Emscher Kunst’ in Essen. He designed 1000 tents with ten different designs that could be borrowed by visitors to the exhibition for the night. The tents are designed in igloo shape and relate in part to earlier works by Ai Weiwei. With the title ‘Aus der Aufklärung’ [From the Enlightenment] Ai Weiwei was referring to the political situation in his home country as well as to the German exhibition ‚Kunst der Aufklärung’ [Art from the Enlightment] Beijing in 2011, which had not been sufficiently discussed, according to the artist. The present tent with a sunflower seeds décor is printed with texts by the artist on the subject of political engagement and freedom of expression on the inside.

The tent is one of 100 copies, which were raffled among the visitors to the exhibition. It is in very good condition and comes in the original packaging. The dimensions when assembled are about 110 x 250 x 210 cm. The tent comes with the fanfold ‘Emscherkunst.2013, Kunst- und Radkarte’ with included roadmap.



Ai Weiwei (b. 1957)

Ai Weiwei was born in Beijing as a son of a poet and dissident, but grew up in Xinjiang, where the father had been exiled. In 1978, he began studying at the Film Academy in Beijing. From 1981 to 1993, Ai Weiwei lived in New York and completed his studies at the Parsons School of Design. He then returned to the Arts District Dashanzi in Beijing. Because of his dissident behavior, Ai Weiwei was arrested in April 2011. His passport was taken from him, so that until today he cannot leave China.

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