sculpted ai weiwei by he xiangyu lies face down on the ground

sculpted ai weiwei by he xiangyu lies face down on the ground
(above) the death of marat, 2011
fiberglass, silicone, fabric, human hair and leather
image © designboom

imbued with social and cultural undercurrents, chinese artist he xiangyu has created a fiberglass representation of ai weiwei, curiously positioned in a contorted posture lying face down on ground. the sculpture’s namesake ‘the death of marat’ refers to jacques-louis david’s 18th century portrait of the french revolutionary leader murdered in his bath. reflecting the political persecution of progressive, sometimes rebellious journalists, artists, and thinkers, the life-sized work acts as a materialization of the renowned artist’s tax evasion case of 2012. in the piece, ai weiwei wears the suit worn by people’s representatives during people’s congress meetings. it simultaneously alludes to his entrapped, imprisoned circumstances as his status as an international art idol, revealing the individual’s actions as well as the speculative relationship between fate and the power structure. he xiangyu’s floor-bound figure is currently featured at the rubell family collection, for the exhibition ’28 chinese’ until august 1st, 2014, a group show highlighting contemporary asian art whose opening coincided with this year’s art basel miami beach. 

fiberglass ai weiwei lies face down on the ground
image courtesy of art stage singapore

the lifeless positioning reflects the artist’s political persecution
image © designboom

‘the death of marat’ sits on the gallery floor
image © designboom

detail of the sculpture’s face
image © designboom

an observer looks at the contorted human figure on the floor
image © designboom