Ai Weiwei - After Les Nuages - 2024.
The spectacular Water Lilies #1 (2022), which measures an impressive 15 meters, is the largest Lego work ever made and comprises 650,000 Lego pieces in 22 vivid colours. The triptych is a reinterpretation of Claude Monet's iconic Water Lilies (1914–1926). Much like an Impressionist painting, the beauty of Ai Weiwei’s masterpiece is fully revealed when viewed from a certain distance. The differently coloured Lego pieces serve as brushstrokes, similar to those used by the Impressionist Masters to capture the light and vibrancy of the world around them. This is no mere homage however, but a sophisticated dialogue between Monet’s monumental triptych Water Liliesand Ai Weiwei's own experiences, especially his formative childhood years spent with his father Ai Qing in a Chinese work camp in the Xinjiang province. This narrative is unlocked in the unsettling dark portal on the right which disrupts the familiar and tranquil beauty of the lily ponds at Monet's home in Giverny. Monet’s painting is woven into Ai Weiwei’s gripping life story to re-emerge as a confrontation with the systematic suppression of the freedom of speech, censorship, government surveillance, and imprisonment, making his use of Lego - a universal symbol of creativity and play - a powerful statement against repression.
Medium: 40 Layers Ink Relief Printing on Aluminum Dibond Backplate
Size: 107.2 × 610.7 cm
Edition of 14
Signed, dated and numbered on different panels
Price: € 75.000
This limited edition Ai Weiwei print is available at Weng Contemporary
