"Ai Weiwei on Porcelain" Exhibition Opens at Sakıp Sabancı Museum with Support from Akbank

Contemporary art's prominent figure Ai Weiwei opened his first solo exhibition in Turkey at Sabancı University Sakıp Sabancı Museum (SSM) with the support of Akbank. A press conference was held with the artist's participation for the exhibition titled "Ai Weiwei on Porcelain." SSM Director Dr. Nazan Ölçer and Akbank Board Chairman Suzan Sabancı Dinçer spoke at the conference where artist Ai Weiwei provided information about what is the most comprehensive exhibition of his work to date in terms of the number of pieces. The exhibition, spanning three floors of SSM and featuring over 100 works, focuses on the artist's porcelain production. Along with porcelains, Ai Weiwei's videos, wallpapers and photographs are also included in the exhibition scope, as he has worked in many fields throughout his career. "Ai Weiwei on Porcelain," with its selection ranging from his first porcelain work signed in 1976-1977 to new works specially produced for Istanbul, presents a unique environment where this artist's world can be explored. "Ai Weiwei on Porcelain" provides a detailed perspective on his artistic practice with a curatorial framework that focuses on concepts such as "reproduction," "iconoclasm," and "appropriation" of cultural imagery that repeatedly emerge in the artist's works.

The exhibition traces the footsteps of Ai Weiwei's life story, who creates in accordance with the understanding that "art is life, life is art." The selection of Ai Weiwei at SSM, whose works include references to both Chinese craft traditions and Western art history, includes examples reflecting this characteristic.

The porcelain material that the artist focuses on in this exhibition serves to open a door to the fundamental questions he raises about authenticity, the historical transformation of value systems, and art's role in effecting social change. Ai Weiwei treats Chinese porcelain as a material carrying meanings relevant to both history and the present day, employing traditional form and language within contemporary discourse. "Ai Weiwei on Porcelain" presents a selection containing all methods that are determining factors in the works he produces with this material. In addition to focusing on Ai Weiwei's porcelain production, the exhibition also includes his iconic works. Sunflower Seeds installation, which brought the artist to the forefront of contemporary art discourse and made him one of the most recognized artists of our time, is displayed as an example of both his relationship with the history of porcelain production and how he uses this material to comment on current conditions. His work titled Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn exemplifies, as one of Ai Weiwei's iconoclastic acts, the different transformation methods the artist employs to question existing value systems. The artist specially produced for the Istanbul exhibition

works such as Blue-and-White Porcelain Plates and Stacked Porcelain Vases reflect contemporary crises by referencing Greek and Egyptian reliefs and ceramics, evoking the cyclical structure of history.

Viewing art not merely as an aesthetic practice but as an opportunity to raise new questions, Ai Weiwei frequently references materials specific to China while responding to events in daily life. The artist thinks about history in light of ancient remains that have survived to the present in the works displayed in the exhibition, offering a comprehensive perspective on the contemporary world. Workshops, children's educational programs, conferences and panels will be organized during the "Ai Weiwei on Porcelain" exhibition to explore Ai Weiwei's art in depth. A catalog featuring contributions from Sir Norman Rosenthal, Hans Ulrich Obrist and Stacey Pierson will be published as part of the "Ai Weiwei on Porcelain" exhibition. The catalog, which will also cover the Chinese craft tradition that informs the artist's production, will serve as a comprehensive resource on Ai Weiwei. "Ai Weiwei on Porcelain" exhibition can be visited at SSM until 28 January. Photos: http://www.sakipsabancimuzesi.org/