Warhol started out doing department store windows

And now Ai Weiwei is doing them too.

Alcatraz Blossoms

I knew that Ai Weiwei had an exhibit at Alcatraz in San Francisco, but I hadn't yet seen any photos from it. Blossoms--porcelain flowers in the tubs, sinks, and toilets of the medical wards--is the first I've come across, and it's eerily beautiful.

Ai Weiwei goes to prison again

Not detained for tax evasion again; this time he's organizing an exhibit at the iconic Alcatraz prison in San Francisco Bay. Because Ai Weiwei is currently prohibited from travelling outside China, an intermediary will oversee the actual installation. I'm looking forward to seeing what comes out of this.

Gangnam Style

I never thought I'd be mentioning the international hit "Gangnam Style" on this blog, but then international artist extraordinaire Ai Weiei went and made his own spoof. So how can I resist? For an interesting contextualization and defense of the video (and to give credit to where I got this photo), check here.

Ai Weiwei

Perhaps you followed the story this summer about Ai Wewei, the well-known Chinese artist who was "detained" by Chinese authorities for several months and eventually released. I thought I'd put together a quick primer on who he is and what happened:

Video about a current show of his architectural work.

Video about Sunflower Seeds, one of his pieces.

PBS Frontline profile of Ai Weiei.

Certainly his most famous design.

New York Times story on his detention.