A Conversation with Ai Weiwei

In this rare speaking engagement, celebrated visual artist, filmmaker, and political activist Ai Weiwei explores his vast body of work in the context of social justice. Imprisoned by Chinese authorities in 2011 without cause, Ai has dedicated his life and career to speaking out against human-rights violations around the globe. In conversation with Skirball curator Yael Lipschutz, Ai discusses how he views the interconnectivity of human suffering as stemming from cultural and economic systems that value profit rather than human life. Yet, although the world's problems are deep and complex, Ai reminds us that “we hope for the better.”

A Conversation with Ai Weiwei was recorded in December 2020 and premiered on February 21, 2021. It was presented in anticipation of the Skirball presentation of the exhibition “Ai Weiwei: Trace,” on view May 15–August 1, 2021. The exhibition was organized by the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.

Learn more about the exhibition at https://www.skirball.org/exhibitions/ai-weiwei-trace

The exhibition and its related educational programs are made possible by lead support from the following donor:
Steve Tisch Family Foundation

Along with support from the following donors:
Engaging the Senses Foundation
Billie B. and Steven G. Fischer Foundation
Chara Shreyer and Gordon Freund
Conrad N. Hilton Foundation

Видео A Conversation with Ai Weiwei канала Skirball Cultural Center