stepping into jewelry design for the first time, ai weiwei presents the collection ‘rebar in gold’ at london’s elisabetta cipriani gallery. the pure 24 karat gold pieces are informed by the artist’s longstanding interest and investigation into the 2008 wenchuan earthquake in china.
the disaster, which killed approximately 70,000 people, has been a significant topic explored by weiwei over the last eight years, with concern focused on the number of children who perished due to poor construction techniques used at government school sites. upon visiting the sichuan province after the earthquake, weiwei found a mass of contorted steel rebar left behind from the fallen buildings, of which he purchased 200 tonnes of for use in ‘straight’ — a body of work dedicated to the catastrophe.
detail of the 24kt gold ‘rebar in gold’ bracelet
all images courtesy of elisabetta cipriani
in the making of the wearable line, ai weiwei has handcrafted gold rebar in three lengths. the material is flexible and each bar is individually bent by the artist, creating the first form for the wearer to then adjust on his or her wrist, finger or neck. the medium of gold — traditionally a symbol wealth and immortality — directly opposes the sudden death and destruction caused by the natural disaster as a consequence of substandard building regulations. the collection therefore acts as a subtle memorial to the human life lost among the earthquake’s rubble.
‘ai weiwei: rebar in gold’ is on display at the elisabetta cipriani gallery, london now through to january 16, 2016.
each bar has been individually bent by ai weiwei
each of the 20 centimeter long bracelets are completely unique
a detail of the bracelet reveals an intricate golden texture that mimics the qualities of reinforcing steel
careful markings resemble the structural qualities of construction materials
lengths of 24kt gold used in the making of the jewelry collection
ai weiwei has modeled the forms after a mass of contorted steel rebar
