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Pillar through round table 2004-05

Artwork Pillar through round table this artwork made of Pair of elmwood half tables assembled into a single table (Qing dynasty 1644- 1911), bisected horizontally by an ironwood pillar (Qing dynasty 1644-1911), on two ironwood pillar fragments, created in 2004-01-01
Accession No.
2006.238a-c
Date Created
2004-05
Department
Contemporary Asian Art
Dimensions A
140 x 656.5 x 123cm (installed)
A: (installed) 140 x 656,5 x 123 cm
Media Category
Sculpture
Secondary Media Category
wood
Medium
Pair of elmwood half tables assembled into a single table (Qing dynasty 1644- 1911), bisected horizontally by an ironwood pillar (Qing dynasty 1644-1911), on two ironwood pillar fragments
Place Created
Beijing, China
Credit Line
Purchased 2006. The Queensland Government's Gallery of Modern Art Acquisitions Fund
Since 2000, Ai Weiwei has sourced materials from the sites of demolished historical buildings, reusing timber pillars, beams and doors to create monumental works such as Pillar through round table. This work is part of an ongoing series employing traditional Chinese furniture, architectural elements and building techniques – materials and skills fast disappearing due to China’s rapid economic and urban development. In these pieces, Ai investigates the point at which a mere piece of furniture becomes an object of artistic expression. Ai’s sculptures in this vein are strange, impractical forms, yet their seamless construction acknowledges the great craftsmanship of ancient China.

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© Ai Weiwei

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