- 463
Ai Weiwei
Estimate
150,000 - 200,000 USD
bidding is closed
Description
- Ai Weiwei
- Rebar 38
- reinforcement steel, in 3 parts
- Dimensions Variable
- Overall: 32 by 138 by 37 in. 81.3 by 350.5 by 94 cm.
- Executed in 2008-2010.
Provenance
Mary Boone Gallery, New York
Private Collection, New York
Private Collection, New York
Condition
This work is in excellent condition overall. The rebars show signs of wear and oxidation, which is inherent to the medium.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
The present work comes from Forge, a group of socio-political works artist Ai Weiwei created in response to the destruction and tragedy caused by the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake that destroyed the Sichuan province in China. The exhibition, held at Mary Boone Gallery in 2012, showcased groups of rods that were taken from the mangled rubbles of destroyed buildings and which Ai Weiwei fired, hammered and bent into new shapes and designs.
“The deformed rods become trinities of themselves, these indistinguishable forms arranged into perfectly choreographed compositions, occupying the studio or gallery floor… Like many Ai Weiwei enterprises, it is an exercise in meticulous futility. Through this restaging he is able to sublimate tragedy into precision, and labor into memory.” (Philip Tinari, Exh. Cat., New York, Mary Boone Gallery, Ai Weiwei: Forge, October – December 2012, pp. 8-9)