Cover design for Ai Weiwei’s book Bare Life
This volume — a hybrid between a scholarly study and an exhibition catalogue — presents the artist’s work in dialogue with theoretical texts by Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben and German-Jewish philosopher Hannah Arendt alongside interpretive essays that illuminate the artist’s work on human rights, his engagement with historical Chinese artifacts and his critical consideration of the effects of globalization. The book includes a new essay on human rights by Ai Weiwei and an interview in which he discusses his artwork and activism. It also features installation photographs of the corresponding exhibition. By exploring Ai Weiwei’s artistic practice in dialogue with philosophies, theories and concepts that connect human life and political power, this publication offers new insights into one of the most important artists working today.