1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows: The story of two lives, one nation, and a century of art under tyranny

By:

Sign Up Now! Already a Member? Log In
You must be logged into UK education collection to access this title. Learn about membership options, or view our freely available titles.

Synopsis
Through the sweeping, extraordinary story of his own and his father's lives, Ai Weiwei - one of the world's most famous artists and activists - tells an epic tale of China over the last 100 years. Ai Weiwei's sculptures and installations have been viewed by millions around the globe, and his architectural achievements include helping to design Beijing's iconic Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium. But his political activism has long made him a target of the Chinese authorities, which culminated in months of secret detention without charge in 2011. Here, for the first time, Ai Weiwei explores the origins of his exceptional creativity and passionate political beliefs through his own life story and that of his father, whose own creativity was stifled. Once an intimate of Mao Zedong, Ai Weiwei's father was branded a rightist during the Cultural Revolution, and he and his family were banished to a desolate place known as 'Little Siberia', where Ai Qing was sentenced to hard labour cleaning public toilets. Ai Weiwei recounts his childhood in exile, and his difficult decision to leave his family to study art in America. With candour and wit, he details his return to China and his rise from artistic unknown to art world superstar and international human rights activist - and how his work has been shaped by living under a totalitarian regime. At once ambitious and intimate, 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows offers a deep understanding of the forces that have shaped modern China, and serves as a timely reminder of the urgent need to protect freedom of expression.
Copyright:
2021

Book Details

Book Quality:
Publisher Quality
Book Size:
400 Pages
ISBN-13:
9781473522718
Related ISBNs:
9781847923516, 9781784701499, 9781847923509, 9781473577558
Publisher:
Random House
Date of Addition:
Copyrighted By:
Ai Weiwei
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Has Image Descriptions:
No
Categories:
History, Nonfiction, Art and Architecture, Biographies and Memoirs, Social Studies, Philosophy, Politics and Government
Submitted By:
Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.

Reviews

No Rating Yet