Home / Humanities / History / World History / 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows: Two Lives, One Nation and a Century of Art Under Tyranny in China

1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows: Two Lives, One Nation and a Century of Art Under Tyranny in China

AUTHOR
Price
€13.80
€15.40 -10%
Upon request
Dispatched within 15 - 25 days.

Add to wishlist

A FAMILY STORY AND THE TALE OF A NATION.

Ai Weiwei - one of the world's most famous artists and activists - weaves a century-long epic tale of China through the story of his own life and that of his father, Ai Qing, the nation's most celebrated poet.

'Engrossing...a remarkable story' Sunday Times


Here, through the sweeping lens of his own and his father's life, Ai Weiwei tells an epic tale of China over the last 100 years, from the Cultural Revolution to the modern-day Chinese Communist Party.

Here is the story of a childhood spent in desolate exile after his father, Ai Qing, once China's most celebrated poet, fell foul of the authorities. Here is his move to America as a young man and his return to China, his rise from unknown to art-world superstar and international rights activist. Here is his extraordinary account of how his work has been shaped by living under a totalitarian regime.

It's the story of a father and a son, of exceptional creativity and passionate belief, and of how two indomitable spirits enabled the world to understand their country.

'A story of inherited resilience and self-determination' Observer

'A majestic and exquisitely serious masterpiece about his China... One of the great voices of our time' Andrew Solomon

'Intimate, unflinching...an instant classic' Evan Osnos, author of Age of Ambition

Author: Weiwei Ai
Publisher: VINTAGE
Pages: 400
ISBN: 9781784701499
Cover: Paperback
Edition Number: 1
Release Year: 2022

Ai Weiwei (born 28 August 1957) is a Chinese contemporary artistdocumentarian, and activist. Ai grew up in the far northwest of China, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his father's exile.[1] As an activist, he has been openly critical of the Chinese Government's stance on democracy and human rights. He investigated government corruption and cover-ups, in particular the Sichuan schools corruption scandal following the collapse of "tofu-dreg schools" in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. In 2011, Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport on 3 April, for "economic crimes". He was detained for 81 days without charge. Ai Weiwei emerged as a vital instigator in Chinese cultural development, an architect of Chinese modernism, and one of the nation's most vocal political commentators.

Ai Weiwei encapsulates political conviction and his personal poetry in his many sculptures, photographs, and public works. In doing this, he makes use of Chinese art forms to display Chinese political and social issues.

After being allowed to leave China in 2015, he has lived in Berlin, Germany, in Cambridge, UK, with his family, and in Portugal.

You may also like

Newsletter

Subscribe to the newsletter to be the first to receive our new releases and offers
Your account Your wishlist

This website uses cookies

We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners.