Biographies 127
Ai Weiwei was born in Beijing in 1957. In 1978 he enrolled at the Beijing Film Institute and in 1979 he co-founded the artist s and writer s group Stars Group. From 1981 to 1993 he lived in the U.S, briefly studying at the Parsons School of Design and the Art Students League in New York. As one of China s leading conceptual artists, he also works as an architect and curator. He collaborated with Herzog & de Meuron on the National Stadium Bird s Nest in Beijing and the Architecture Biennial in Venice in 2008. He has had solo shows in Bern, Switzerland (2004), the Groninger Museum, Netherlands and the Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation, Cambelltown Arts Center, Sydney, Australia (2008). In 2007 he participated in the Documenta in Kassel. Cristina Bechtler, publisher, is founder and director of Ink Tree Editions, Küsnacht, Switzerland, an imprint for artists books, editions and portfolios with contemporary artists. She conceived the book series Art and Architecture in Discussion. Previous books in this series have been published with Frank O. Gehry/Kurt W. Forster; Rémy Zaugg/Herzog & de Meuron; Mario Merz/Mario Botta; Jacques Herzog/Jeff Wall/ Philip Ursprung; Vito Acconci/Kenny Schachter/Lilian Pfaff; John Baldessari/Liam Gillick/ Lawrence Weiner/Beatrix Ruf; and Thomas Demand/Peter Saville/Hedi Slimane/Hans Ulrich Obrist. Ai Weiwei wurde 1957 in Beijing geboren. 1978 studierte er an der Filmakademie in Beijing und war 1979 Mitbegründer der Künstlervereinigung Stars Group. 1981 bis 1993 lebte er in den USA, wo er in New York die Parsons School of Design und die Art Students League besuchte. Heute zählt er zu den führenden Konzeptkünstlern Chinas und ist zudem als Architekt und Kurator tätig. Mit Herzog & de Meuron hat er für den Bau des Nationalstadiums Bird s Nest in Beijing und die Architekturbiennale in Venedig 2008 zusammengearbeitet. Einzelausstellungen fanden u.a. 2004 in der Kunsthalle Bern und 2008 im Groninger Museum in den Niederlanden und in der Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation, Cambelltown Arts Center, Sydney, Australien statt. 2007 nahm er an der Documenta 12 in Kassel teil. Cristina Bechtler, Verlegerin, ist Gründerin von Ink Tree Editions, einem Verlag für Künstlerbücher, Portfolios und Editionen zeitgenössischer Kunst. Sie konzipiert und realisiert die Buchreihe Art and Architecture in Discussion. In dieser Reihe bereits erschienen sind Gespräche mit Frank O. Gehry/Kurt W. Forster, Rémy Zaugg/Herzog & de Meuron, Mario Merz/Mario Botta; Jacques Herzog/Jeff Wall/Philip Ursprung, Vito Acconci/Kenny Schachter/Lilian Pfaff, John Baldessari/ Liam Gillick/Lawrence Weiner/Beatrix Ruf und Thomas Demand/Peter Saville/Hedi Slimane/Hans Ulrich Obrist. 128
Peter Pakesch was born in Graz in 1955. In the 1970s he studied architecture and worked as an artist and curator in Graz. In 1981 he established a gallery in Vienna, which he ran until 1993. In 1986 he founded the Grazer Kunstverein together with Helmut Strobl. From 1993 to 1996 he worked as a freelance curator for the National Gallery in Prague, and from1996 to 2002 he was was the director of the Kunsthalle Basel. Since 2003 he has been artistic director of the Landesmuseum Joanneum in Graz. Uli Sigg was born in Switzerland in 1946. He completed his studies with a Ph.D. from the University of Zurich Law Faculty. He then worked as journalist and editor for various Swiss newspapers and magazines. From 1977 to 1990 he joined the Schindler Group where he held positions as Area Manager for Asia Pacific later becoming a Member of the Group Executive Committee and Shareholders Board. He then served on the boards of a number of global companies. In 1995 he served as ambassador to China, North Korea and Mongolia for four years. He has acquired the wotrld s most substantial collection of contemporary Chinese art, which has been exhibited in Bern, Hamburg, Cork, Rio de Janeiro, Salzburg, Barcelona and Berkeley. Peter Pakesch wurde 1955 in Graz geboren. In den 1970er Jahren studierte er Architektur und war als Künstler und Ausstellungsmacher in Graz tätig. 1981 gründete er eine eigene Galerie in Wien, die er bis 1993 führte. 1986 gründete er mit Helmut Strobl den Grazer Kunstverein. Von 1993 bis 1996 war er als freier Kurator für die Nationalgalerie Prag tätig. Von 1996 bis 2002 war er Direktor der Kunsthalle Basel. Seit 2003 ist er Intendant und künstlerischer Leiter am Landesmuseum Joanneum in Graz. Uli Sigg wurde 1946 in der Schweiz geboren. Er promovierte an der Rechtswissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Universität Zürich und war als Journalist und Redaktor für verschiedenen Schweizer Zeitungen und Zeitschriften tätig. Von 1977 bis 1990 war er als Manager der Schindler Gruppe für Asien zuständig und dann im Verwaltungsrat verschiedener internationaler Unternehmen. Von 1995 bis 1999 war er Schweizer Botschafter für China, Nordkorea und die Mongolei. Er baute die weltweit grösste Sammlung chinesischer Kunst auf, die seit 2005 in Bern, Hamburg, Cork, Rio de Janeiro, Salzburg, Barcelona und Berkeley zu sehen war. 129
Yung Ho Chang was born in Beijing in 1956. He studied architecture in China, India and the U.S. After completing his Masters of Architecture at the University of California at Berkeley, he returned to China in 1993. In the same year he and his wife Lijia Lu founded Atelier Feichang Janzhu (FCJZ), the first independed architecture studio in China. In 1999 he founded the Graduate Center of Architecture at the University of Beijing and became its Head. Since 2005 he has been Head of the Department of Architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technologie (MIT) in Cambridge, Mass. He has participated in numerous international exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale, 2005. Yung Ho Chang wurde 1956 in Beijing geboren. Er studierte in China, Indien und den USA. Nach seinem Master in Architektur an der University of California in Berkeley kehrte er 1993 nach China zurück, wo er im selben Jahr gemeinsam mit seiner Frau Lijia Lu das Atelier Feichang Janzhu (FCJZ), das erste unabhängige Architekturbüro Chinas, gründete. 1999 gründete und leitete er das Graduate Center of Architecture an der Universität von Beijing. Seit 2005 ist er Head des Department of Architecture am Massachusetts Institute of Technologie (MIT) in Cambridge, Mass. Er nahm an zahlreichen internationalen Ausstellungen teil, u. a. 2005 an der Biennale in Venedig. 130
List of Illustrations p 10 Peter Pakesch, Uli Sigg, Yung Ho Chang, Zürich, February 29, 2008 p 50 Atelier Feichang Jianzhu (FCJZ), Bridge Museum for Posters from the Cultural Revolution, Jianchuan Museum Town, Anren, Sichuan, 2003 p 51 Atelier Feichang Jianzhu (FCJZ), plan Jianchuan Museum Town, Anren, Sichuan, 2003 p 68, 69 Atelier Feichang Jianzhu (FCJZ), Xishu Bookstore, Beijing, 1996 p 72, 73 Atelier Feichang Jianzhu (FCJZ), UF Soft R&D Center, Beijing, China, 2007 p 74, 75 Atelier Feichang Jianzhu (FCJZ), Split House, Yanqing, Beijing, 2002 p 78, 79 Ai Weiwei, Studiohouse, Beijing, 1999 p 83 Ai Weiwei, Yiwu Riverbank, Jinhua, 2004 p 91 Ai Weiwei, Galerie Urs Meile Beijing, Beijing, 2005 p 105 Ai Weiwei, Dress with Flowers, porcelain, 6x67x46 cm, 2007 p 106 Ai Weiwei, Blue Dress, porcelain, 7x62x50 cm, 2007 p 112 Ai Weiwei, Fairytale, 1001 Chinese Visitors, Documenta 12, Kassel, 2007 p 113 Ai Weiwei, Fairytale, 1001 Qing Dynasty Wooden Chairs, installation view at Ai Weiwei s studio, 2007 p 118 Ai Weiwei, Template, wooden doors and windows from destroyed Ming and Qing Dynasty houses (1368 1911), 720x1200x850 cm, before collapsing, Documenta 12, Kassel, 2007 p 119 Ai Weiwei, Template, wooden doors and windows from destroyed Ming and Qing Dynasty houses (1368 1911), wooden base, 422x1106x875 cm, after collapsing, Documenta 12, Kassel, 2007 p 122 Yung Ho Chang/Atelier Feichang Jianzhu, Bamboo Shoots, Chinese Pavilion, Venice Biennale, 2005 p 125 Yung Ho Chang/Atelier Feichang Jianzhu, Poly & Chai, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 2008 Previous publications: - Mario Botta and Mario Merz - Herzog & de Meuron and Rémy Zaugg - Frank Gehry and Kurt W. Forster - Jacques Herzog and Jeff Wall, moderated by Philip Ursprung - Vito Acconci and Kenny Schachter, moderated by Lilian Pfaff - John Baldessari, Liam Gillick, Lawrence Weiner, moderated by Beatrix Ruf - Thomas Demand, Peter Saville, Hedi Slimane and Hans Ulrich Obrist In preparation: - Ken Adam, Katharina Fritsch and Hans Ulrich Obrist, moderated by Bice Curiger - Frank Gehry and Kurt W. Forster (revised talk) 131
Series Editor: Cristina Bechtler, INK TREE, Seestr. 21, CH-8700 Küsnacht T. +41 44 913 30 99, F. +41 44 913 30 81, www.inktree.ch This work is subject to copyright, All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically those of translation, reprinting, re-use of illustrations, broadcasting, reproduction by photocopying machines or similar means, and storage in data banks. Product Liability: The publisher can give no guarantee for the information contained in this book. The use of registered names, trademarks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free of general use. 2009 Springer-Verlag/Wien Printed in Austria SpringerWienNewYork is a part of Springer Science + Business Media springer.at The publisher and editor kindly wish to inform you that in some cases, despite efforts to do so, the obtaining of copyright permissions and usage of excerpts of text is not always successful. Translation from German: Catherine Schelbert, CH-Hertenstein Translation from English: Suzanne Schmidt, CH-Zürich Editing: Cristina Bechtler, Dora Imhof Layout: Michael Karner, www.typografie.co.at Coverdesign: Martin Gaal/Springer-Verlag, 1210 Vienna Printing: Holzhausen Druck & Medien GmbH, 1140 Vienna Printed on acid-free and chlorine-free bleached paper SPIN: 12552542 With numerous (colored) illustrations Photocredits: Andreas Hagenbach (p 10) Atelier fcjz (p 50, 51, 68, 69, 122, 125) Shu He (p 72, 73, 74, 75) Ai Weiwei (p 78, 79, 83, 91, 105, 106, 112, 113, 118, 119) ISSN 1613-5865 ISBN 978-3-211-89240-4 SpringerWienNewYork 132