In September this yr, Pavilion 13 on the ExpoCentre of Ukraine in Kyiv will open an set up by Chinese language artist Ai Weiwei entitled Three Completely Proportioned Spheres and Camouflage Uniforms Painted White.

Ai is among the most world-renowned up to date artists. In 2011, Time journal included him in its checklist of the 100 most influential individuals on the earth, calling him the embodiment of China's hope for the world. That very same yr, the British artwork journal ArtReview ranked him first among the many 100 most influential artists on the earth.

That is due not solely to the work of this conceptual artist but in addition to his public actions. Ai Weiwei just isn’t a kind of who imagine that artists ought to keep out of politics. He publicly criticises the Chinese language authorities for human rights violations and carefully weaves political parts into his work.

In an interview with Ukrainska Pravda, Ai admits that he may have come to Ukraine a few years in the past, however at the moment, he was prevented from doing so by persecution from the Chinese language authorities. In 2022, he turned one among 350 cultural figures who signed an open letter to politicians calling for resistance to "Putin's aggression". This yr, he lastly made it to Kyiv to create his first work devoted to Ukraine.

Censorship solely protects the rights of the governor or highly effective elites

Let’s begin with the challenge you’re doing in Kyiv. What drew you to just accept the invitation to create a piece in Kyiv throughout energetic wartime?

Nicely, that is my first time in Kyiv, however it’s not the primary time I’ve acquired an invite. About 15 years in the past, I acquired an invite from the Pinchuk Basis. They requested me to be a jury member for the Future Technology Artwork Prize. On the airport, earlier than I received on the aircraft, I used to be stopped by the key police who stated: "You’ll be able to by no means journey". So, I missed the possibility to return to Ukraine that point.

Then, about two years in the past, a good friend [reached out to say to me that they] actually wished me to do an exhibition in Ukraine.

I used to be hesitant, truthfully, as a result of at the moment, there was plenty of consideration on Ukraine, and lots of people [visited]. They, , make huge information and stuff like that. However after two years, it received quieter. The warfare was nonetheless occurring and even turned fairly excessive.

I accepted the invitation, and, , we’re making ready a present at Pavilion 13, which is organised by RIBBON Worldwide [a non-profit platform that supports historical and contemporary Ukrainian art and culture – ed.]. I feel they’re honest {and professional}, in order that's why I got here. However I at all times wished to return.

At first of the warfare, on 24 February 2022, which occurred to be my son's birthday, I used to be very shocked that Russia invaded Ukraine. And what I vividly bear in mind is when a Ukrainian woman talked to Russian troopers, "Throughout the combat, put some sunflower seeds in your pocket, so subsequent yr there shall be sunflowers that come up". [Ai Weiwei is referring to a video with a woman in Henichesk, Kherson Oblast, who approached a Russian soldier and told him to "take these seeds, so sunflowers grow when you die here".] That, for me, is poetry. It's very crude, nevertheless it's lovely as a result of it displays hope and the longer term. [The] warfare goes to be over. It could final for years, however nonetheless, the warfare shall be over.

So, I feel it's the fitting second to contribute my work to Ukraine and to make individuals perceive that the warfare, even when it's so crude, shouldn’t final. There must be a greater life, a greater future to stay up for.

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Are you able to perhaps converse a bit extra concerning the idea of the work itself that you’re making ready?

It's very exhausting to explain the work. Nevertheless it has to narrate to my private historical past, to artwork, to what artwork is about, and to the present state of affairs.

If we discuss concerning the construction and the fabric, the work is structured into three spheres: giant, medium and small. The massive one is about 6 metres, and the small one is about 4 metres. They’re related and coated by what appears to be like like army garments. It appears to be like like army garments, nevertheless it's all designed by me; the material is made by me. [The pattern includes] photos of cats – the cats we rescued for years.

As everyone knows, warfare is about sacrificing human life. No warfare could be actually justified, as a result of all of us lose [people’s] lives. However in lots of instances, we have now to combat, to defend. However in each warfare, animals are additionally damage, as a result of additionally they stay.

So I used the animal motif, and made this military-like camouflage. And I made all these army garments, fits, jackets and pants. And we'll cowl these three spheres [with them]. Yeah, that's how I can describe it. And all of the army garments are buttoned up on the spheres and painted, coated with family paint. Simply roughly painted.

One of many spheres. Photograph: Ai Weiwei’s studio

That's not the primary time that you’ve got integrated portray over objects. [His 1995 work Whitewash involved painting white over ancient Chinese Neolithic pottery, literally erasing historical patterns and cultural markers – ed.]. How do you see the connection between the whitewashing of historical past and the data management throughout wartime? There are a lot of talks about censorship and self-censorship throughout wartime.

It's a very good subject to speak about. You're proper, it's not the primary time I've used one layer of paint to cowl the objects. However that is the primary time I used one layer of paint to color over camouflage, which is sort of ironic, because the camouflage is making an attempt to cover or making an attempt to cowl.

We live in a world the place there's authoritarianism, and there's censorship. When there's energy, not essentially simply within the authoritarian state, but in addition within the democratic states. There's plenty of censorship. Censorship solely protects the rights of the governor or highly effective elites. Nevertheless it erases the reality and likewise twists the reality for the general public, which has the fitting to know every thing. So we live in a world like this. That is no exception.

Additionally, I wished to ask about Pavilion 13 itself as a result of it's a Soviet house. How vital was the historic context of this location? There are particular issues associated to the Soviet-era environments in fashionable Ukraine.

It is vitally problematic as a result of historical past at all times comprises sorrow and sad moments. Regardless of if it's private historical past or nationwide historical past. So there are very other ways of coping with it. I feel altering it with up to date actions is the one option to give the fitting interpretation of what occurred up to now.

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Globalist universalism is a brand new vocabulary of recent colonialism that erases our reminiscence

I additionally wished to ask you about one of many earlier exhibitions about Don Quixote, as a result of that is how we reached out to you. I learn that the picture of Don Quixote is vital to your private historical past. What does it signify for you?

It represents ardour, creativeness, generally insanity, however nonetheless, for me, a person's will. This determine could be very fascinating to me as a result of it's making an attempt to realize the inconceivable. So once I did the exhibition in Spain, you noticed my, how do you say, exhibition emblem. It's made from Lego, which is from Picasso's authentic drawing. [The fact that Ukrainska Pravda uses this picture] is a coincidence, nevertheless it's a pleasant one, and that's why I like the thought.

In your works (such because the movie Human Flow), you advocate for a shared, common humanity within the face of the worldwide refugee disaster. But, there’s a view that this type of universalism, as an strategy, can generally threat ignoring the specifics of colonial aggression, the place one nation is clearly the aggressor and one other is the sufferer. How do you stability the universalist name for "peace" with the actual demand for justice and accountability? Is there a have to stability that in any respect by way of artwork?

I feel it's inconceivable to stability it, as a result of we live in very particular circumstances and likewise a selected historical past. So our reasoning and argument additionally at all times need to take care of not simply characters, however reminiscence and historical past. So there is no such thing as a such factor as whole universalism. So-called globalist universalism is a brand new vocabulary of recent colonialism. So with new colonialism, which erases our historical past and our previous and our reminiscence, which makes our life look ridiculous, it actually talks about one risk, fairly than respecting the distinction.

Portray the camouflage for the Kyiv exhibition Photograph: Adam Simons and RIBBON Worldwide

Just lately you commented concerning the challenge in Kyiv, and also you described this work as a dialogue about warfare and peace, rationality and irrationality. How do you see artwork as a medium on this dialogue? What does it imply for you?

For me personally, it's a private effort. We’re all going through this dramatic time, and we see individuals struggling, individuals ruthlessly, brutally violating human rights or nationwide rationality, all types of rationality. So, for me, I’ve to maintain up my expression, and that's why I make such an effort to do that exhibition.

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In case you assume you're already free, you're over

In 2022, I interviewed Timothy Snyder right here in Kyiv, and he stated that, principally, he argued that Russia's invasion of Ukraine is basically enabled by China, which is why China let it occur by way of assist and refusal to discourage Moscow. Given your expertise with Chinese language authoritarianism and your present work in Ukraine, what's your evaluation?

I feel that's ridiculous. After all, I criticise China on a regular basis, as a result of I care about China. China is rarely my enemy. And in the event that they even have relations with Russia, which could be very strategically to not assist Russians to take care of Ukraine, in lots of instances, China additionally has a really balanced view.

They by no means actually supported Russia's army kind of factor. Additionally, Ukraine has relations with China – an extended, lengthy, lengthy historical past, and a very good historical past. [With such statements], individuals are clearly making an attempt to divide nations, .

The query is how one can cease the warfare. China is continually saying the warfare must be stopped. That there shouldn’t be so many casualties and a lot worldwide curiosity within the warfare. It's too many individuals involved in Ukraine's assets. As somebody from the skin, as a Chinese language [person] or the Chinese language authorities, we are able to see it clearly. So that can’t be good for Ukraine's future.

Photograph: Adam Simons and RIBBON Worldwide

China is now ranked because the world's second strongest nation. You've witnessed China's transformation from an remoted regime to a world superpower throughout your lifetime. And what’s your general perspective of the present function of China globally?

I feel China has performed a fairly balanced function internationally. They by no means imagine any nation ought to intrude with different nations' enterprise. , they actually do [think] that means. And in addition they’re hoping to develop a risk for them to rise. As a result of they regularly have gotten actually very highly effective. They needed to change their complete construction. , manufacturing construction and buying and selling construction. And we see in China, it's at all times authoritarian, , you can’t argue about that. However nonetheless, comparatively, China could be very steady and has developed very quick.

Nicely, as you stated, it clearly is an authoritarian regime. And the way do you assume this setting for Asian artists will evolve?

I feel you're suggesting one thing like: an authoritarian state is not going to have the likelihood to make vital artwork, which I don't agree with. Fairly often, individuals assume that freedom would supply them a greater alternative. , the entire West has this type of narrative, I might say propaganda. Democracy and freedom don’t essentially provide the risk to make nice artwork. Actually vital artwork comes from being in opposition to the prevailing system, the political and cultural system, which we not often see within the West. So there's no significant work coming from the West.

The West simply, , encourages infantile play. "Okay, you're so nice. You're so artistic." Come on. , we’re human beings. We’ve got intelligence. We’ve got to deal with humanism, which is a combat for censorship, human rights violations and injustice. And should you assume you're already free, you're over. You shouldn’t even exist as an artist.

Getting again to the query about China, at the same time as China turns into stronger, it doesn't imply it might probably get higher artwork or doesn't imply it might probably dominate artwork. Artwork is a miracle. Artwork has come from the inconceivable. It doesn’t matter from what state.

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However you continue to have to have the ability to work. You might be working everywhere in the globe however not in China.

I feel the individuals who work everywhere in the globe are perhaps simply commercially profitable. They might by no means produce actually good artwork.

Say poetry – you possibly can create it in jail. You’ll be able to create it in a labour camp. You’ll be able to create it on a really pleased trip on the seashore. It doesn't matter. It doesn't actually say should you're in a labour camp, your poetry just isn’t higher than the one on the seashore. Artwork is identical. It's a extremely private reflection of the world.

Do you see your self going again to China in some unspecified time in the future sooner or later?

I feel I by no means left China.

Nicely, I imply bodily, in fact.

I bodily connect with the universe and to the land, the mountains, and the rivers. With out these, I don't have something.

Photograph: Adam Simons and RIBBON Worldwide

I’ve only one final query. I additionally wished to ask in your view about identification, preserving cultural identification by way of artwork. As a result of that's one of many struggles that Ukrainian artists and tradition normally are going by way of. Inside the broader context, what’s your view on artwork as a medium of preserving cultural identification?

You made it a little bit sophisticated. Artwork itself is identification. If artwork exists, then cultural identification is being preserved. However should you don't have actual artwork, then it doesn't matter the way you attempt to defend cultural identification. It's not going to occur. So all of it comes from effort.

[During my visit] I've seen many individuals – from manufacturing unit manufacturing, to drones, to farming, to all ranges. And essentially the most spectacular is the railroad system. They’re doing so many issues. It's unbelievable. Each morning, we went to the tracks to see individuals say goodbye to their family members. And each night, we noticed the troopers wounded being taken again to hospital.

I’m deeply impressed with this railroad. The railroad system could be so artistic, far more artistic than artists. Why? As a result of they’ve perception, ardour and the means to realize it, and nothing can cease them.

So in that sense, Russians can by no means win this warfare. It doesn't matter how sturdy you’re. It doesn't matter what your argument is. If the opposite aspect, like Ukraine, needs to defend itself to the top, no person can win this warfare. So I do really feel fairly strongly like this.

Andrii Boborykin, Ukrainska Pravda