The Buddha Touches Down in Switzerland – The New Art of Li Wei
Posted: January 5th, 2012 | Author: artintolife | Filed under: art | Tags: art, artists, chinese art, humor, li wei, performance art, photography, politicsAdmittedly, my attraction to art produced under the watch of authoritarian governments has always seemed a bit perverse. In part, I find the playing out of the dynamic between art and politics to be engaging. I also think that when truly brilliant and gifted artists confront (and try to express themselves both in spite of and because of) the constraints of a dictatorial political structure, they come up with some pretty phenomenal visions.
Chinese artist Li Wei’s work is both performance art and photography. Amazingly, his photographs are not the result of digital montages. A key part of Li Wei’s work is that – with the aid of acrobatics, scaffolding, mirrors, wires – the images commemorate a staging of which the artist is both the subject and the photographer (with minor post-production manipulation).
Li Wei, 040-02.<<29层自由度>>."29 levels of freedom",2003,07.24. Beijing, 120x175cm
Li Wei, 047-01.《爱在高处之1 》."Love at the high place 1",2004,07.01, Beijing, 150x150cm
Li Wei, 093-02.<<生活在高处6>>，"Live at the high place 6", 2008.10.09, Beijing,176x176cm, Edition 6
Li Wei, 042-01.<<李 日韦 撞入汽车>>.“Liwei falls to the Car”,2003.09.26, Beijing, 150x150cm
Li Wei, 046-01.《25层自由度》."25 levels of freedom", 2004,06.19, Beijing, 150x150cm
Li Wei, 055-01.<<李 日韦 撞入意大利科莫湖>>.“Liwei falls to the Como lake, Italy”,2004.11.16,como.Italy,150x150cm
Li Wei, 073-01.《李 日韦撞入纽约》.“Li Wei falls to New York”,2006.10.20. New York, 176x176cm
Li Wei’s new work takes this format to another level, engaging with issues of religion and love through beautiful and evocative photographs.
Li Wei, 242-02 ，《佛 2011.08.28》,“Buddha2011.08.28 ”,2011.08.28,St.Moritz，Switzerland,126x216cm, Edition 6
Li Wei, 204-01 ,《在云中》. “In the clouds ”,2010,12,02, 柬埔寨,Cambodia,155x232.5cm, Edition 6
Li Wei, 222-01 ，《失重的冲动2011.01.01-1》,“ Loss of impulse 2011.01.01-1”, 2011.01.01,北京，Beijing,126x192cm, Edition 6
Li Wei, 233-01 ，《2011.07.06》,“2011.07.06 ”,2011.07.06,北京，Beijing,126x192cm, Edition 6
Li Wei, 224-01, 《爱在2011.05.08》,“Love 2011.05.08”, 2011.05.08,北京，Beijing,126x192cm, Edition 6
Li Wei, 206-01 ,《V空间-吴哥窟》. “V-Space-Angkor”,2010,12,04, 柬埔寨,吴哥窟,Angkor,Cambodia, 126x192cm, Edition 6
Li Wei, 221-01 ，《爱在2011.01.01之3》,“Love 2011.01.01-3 ”, 2011.01.01,北京，Beijing,126x192cm, Edition 6
Li Wei, 219-01.《爱在2011.01.01之1》,“Love 2011.01.01-1 ”, 2011.01.01,北京，Beijing, 126x192cm, Edition 6
Li Wei, 231-01 ，《视差》,“Parallax ”, 2011.06.05,北京，Beijing,126x192cm, Edition 6
Li Wei, 227-01 ，《爱在2011.05.31》,“Love 2011.05.31 ”, 2011.05.31,北京，Beijing,126x192cm, Edition 6
Visit Li Wei’s website. One interview with the artist is particularly interesting.
