Ai Weiwei’s “Forever Bicycles”

I found another amazing artwork inspired by the bicycle and reusing materials. Ai Weiwei created a work called “Forever Bicycles”.

Forever Bicycle by Ai Weiwei

Ai Weiwei first installed the 1,200 bicycles that hang from the ceiling of the Taipei Fine Arts Museum. “The bikes have no handlebars and no seats and instead use those parts of the frame to extend upward and outward to connect to other wheels and other frames, creating the illusion of a labyrinth-like space in a three-dimensional area.”

Ai Weiwei has had a restrictive life since being secretively detained by the Chinese government. You can see the parallels of a restrictive way of living could resemble the constraints of owning a car therefore having to rely on a simpler way of transportation being a bike. A bike can help the environment by minimizing the waste that is produced by a car. This sculpture shows the power of the bike by creating an atmosphere that is overwhelming and incredibly powerful.

and hello fellow Torontians this work will be assembled in Nation Phillips Square for the Scotiabank Nuit Blanche festival in 2013 which is this coming weekend!!! Go check it out!

Here’s the link to the Toronto Star:

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/visualarts/2013/08/21/massive_ai_weiwei_bicycle_sculpture_the_nuit_blanche_2013_centrepiece.html

Forever Bicycle by Ai Weiwei

Forever Bicycles by Ai Weiwei

photo credits: http://www.bikehugger.com/post/view/forever-bicycles-by-ai-weiwei

info credit: http://www.fastcodesign.com/1665720/ai-weiwei-piles-1200-bikes-on-top-of-each-other-for-dazzling-effect

Related articles

• Massive Ai Weiwei bicycle sculpture the Nuit Blanche 2013 centrepiece (thestar.com)

Reusable Materials

Robert Rauschenberg, Riding Bikes, 1998, with neon in a fountain, Berlin

Riding Bikes by Robert Rauschenberg

In the 1950’s Rauschenberg discovered his “Combines” concept, where he created assemblage sculptures with “combine paintings.” In this particular work he transforms the everyday object into art. He used the least possible wastage he could to create his piece.

You can see that Rauschenberg had an interest in the world around us and the surrounding environment. He drew attention to the bike, as well as the importance of recycling material in one sculpture.

This is a perfect example of illustrating the benefits of going green in a conceptual artwork.

Riding Bikes by Robert Rauschenberg
http://potsdamerplatz.de/en/entertainment-culture/art-exhibition/sculptures/rauschenberg/