Ai Weiwei is a contemporary Chinese artist known for his committed vision of art. He is now acclaimed worldwide, and delights art enthusiasts such as collector John Dodelande. The artist recently presented his film on confinement in Wuhan, Coronation. We invite you to discover a little more about this 100-minute film and Ai Weiwei’s vision on the subject.
A video to synthesize China’s handling of an extraordinary crisis
Ai Weiwei has once again put all her creativity at the service of art, by offering us an original and shouting video on the situation inherent to the confinement in Wuhan: Coronation. Although he has been living in Europe for five years, the artist wanted to make a kind of “recording for history” when the global pandemic broke out in Wuhan. He explains that “this tragic virus has spread around the world and continues to affect our lives. It has probably had the strongest impact on the globe since World War II. There is no doubt about the urgency and necessity of such a film. The situation requires a much more in-depth knowledge and first-hand information about what is happening.
The video made by Ai Weiwei thus highlights the very good organization of the Chinese sanitary system, as well as everything that has been put in place such as the disinfection of the streets and the workers, the equipment by integral suits, etc… This is in direct opposition to the images that have been seen of French hospitals lacking masks, gloves or even strict disinfection protocols.
Titanic means implemented to achieve 100 minutes of film
With this new work, Ai Weiwei reiterates her multimodal approach to art, which can mix painting, sculpture or video. Her art allows her to express herself on life in China, without going into subjects that may be taboo, such as religion or societal problems encountered in the country.
This large-scale project was led by the artist from Rome. For this, he explains that his entire team worked 24 hours a day. The result? A crucial and shouting testimony about the effectiveness of China in the face of this global pandemic. The artist nevertheless wishes to confront the spectator with certain questions, notably about all the sacrifices that had to be made to achieve these objectives. Ai Weiwei has thus succeeded in depicting a realistic portrait of China’s management of the crisis. The film, which lasts 100 minutes, “provides a solid insight into what China is all about”.
The film Coronation has been (or will be) presented at prestigious events such as the New York, Venice and Toronto festivals. However, it will be limited to distribution on video platforms, outside of the so-called traditional circuits.
