00:18

square yellow and white print on a mirrored substrate

Ai Weiwei

Human Flow

€1,250

Artwork

Edition of 100

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Human Flow belongs to a trio of artworks by Ai Weiwei which combine innovative printing methods with pillars of freedom upheld throughout his practice.

Figures in motion, laden with bags, move in an endless circle at the centre of the print. Razor wire surrounds them. CCTV cameras look on ominously. Ai reflects on the importance of a person’s liberty to move, and the forms of persecution that may lead them to do so. Opaque layers of white and yellow ink are applied to a mirrored aluminium substrate – subsuming onlooker and artwork in the reflective surface.

“If there is one refugee, we are all refugees. It's not that you're potentially a refugee, or potentially involved. We are involved. We are refugees. This idea is not easy to establish, so I tried to make it beautiful. You can see the image, but you can also see yourself in the reflection.”

Go behind the scenes at Make-Ready in London as Ai reflects on the profundities of printmaking, and its lineage within his practice.

Go deeper

06:12

Behind the scenes

Ai Weiwei

27 collaborations

Ai Weiwei is unafraid to speak truth to power. He’s one of the most famous living artists today – a testament to the breadth and vision of his practice. Effortlessly, he moves between different media, from sculpture and architecture to performance and documentary film. His work is often monumental in scale and is driven by a hunger for truth and justice. In 2008, for example, Ai spent many months collecting the names of over 5000 children who lost their lives in the Sichuan earthquake. This unflinching dedication to human rights saw him detained by the Chinese government for 81 days in 2011, accused of ‘subverting the state.’

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Reviews from Avant collectors

very happy with my purchase
Review of Content (Hand-finished)
what an amazing experience from top to bottom. The best communication, print quality and packing. This is my first time purchasing from you and I look forward to my next purchase.
Review of Prismatic Head Composition
The monent I opened the box I was pose struck. I’m headspinning beyond happy with this piece of artwork! This piece pops like bubble gum and a great addition to my other pieces by the artist. Great communication and packaging from AA!
Review of B BOY JUSHI
Great service overall, makes an easy process for buying and shipping art which is typically difficult and expensive.
Review of Guardian
Amazing job on the framing and shipping.
Review of Untitled
Notifications and packaging were spot on. I will definitely make future purchases.
Review of Iris
very impressed with the quality of packaging and the high level finish of thr framing & artwork! look forward to pucharing more pieces in the future.
Review of Prismatic Head Composition
I think the experience has been brilliant from start to finish
Review of HOPE (251-375)

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