Design Assignment

On Social Protest - Ai Weiwei Project Art has a strong relationship to political history.​ All art is part of its political context, and this is particularly true in times of social transformation and political unrest. Some powerful art is monumental and expresses its power through its scale and permanence, suggesting a commitment to reflect the strength and supremacy of the ruler or the state. Ai Wei Wei ​is an artist that breaks the boundaries of contemporary art making and he is known for his political artwork. His work critiques the conformity and censorship inherent in modern China. Artist’s Inspiration Several modern artists inspired Ai’s use of common objects from everyday life, especially Marcel Duchamp (1887–1968) and Andy Warhol (1928–1987). People’s Republic of China Ai utilizes many traditional Chinese cultural elements when creating artworks, requiring knowledge of Chinese history to fully understand their meanings. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For this project: *You may research using Google to find the answers to the questions, but ​your written response has to be in your own words.​ *No cut and paste. Points will be taken from the project for poor regards towards presentation assignments, for copying and pasting and lack of formatting. Wikipedia is not a source of information. https://youtu.be/OJsWSa_On9A Watch the video: Human Flow”: World-Renowned Artist & Activist Ai Weiwei on His Epic New Documentary on Refugees Human Rights and the Refugee Crisis One major theme the exhibition explores is the issue of human rights violations. What are human rights? Who created this concept? Are human rights universal? What are some examples of human rights violations? Currently there are more than seventy million refugees displaced from their homelands. What are some of the difficulties refugees face? Can these be considered human rights violations? What are some of the social and political factors causing the refugee crisis? What are some of the ways people are trying to help?

https://youtu.be/PueYywpkJW8 Watch the video : Ai Weiwei – Sunflower Seeds and answer these questions:

1. What are the major dynasties of ancient China? 2. When was the People’s Republic of China founded? 3. What are some current human rights problems in China? 4. What happened during the Cultural Revolution? 5. What are some current human rights problems in China? 6. What traditional Chinese cultural elements does Ai Weiwei use when creating the

Sunflower Seeds artwork? 7. What is the political symbolism of sunflower seeds in Ai Weiwei’s work? 8. Share one interesting fact about Ai Weiwei’s contribution to political protest (please

choose something unique that has not been discussed/posted by your classmates).