Ai Weiwei

A richly illustrated survey that traces how Ai Weiwei's artistic practice and his political engagement cannot be pulled apart. The artist maintains that everything he makes is both art and politics, a view that runs through this full-scale overview of work from roughly four decades. Sculptural installations, photographs and videos show the range of his output and the social concerns it addresses.

Among the highlights is Straight, a huge installation built from 150 tons of rebar recovered after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, which speaks to official corruption and neglect. Also featured is Sunflower Seeds, in which 100,000,000 porcelain seeds, each handcrafted by Chinese artisans, covered the vast Turbine Hall at London's Tate Modern. The volume further examines recent pieces responding to the refugee crisis, including Laundromat and Life Cycle, along with his provocative use of social media and several early works.

Broad in scope and incisive in its analysis, this book gathers the most significant body of Ai's work assembled to date. It makes the case for his belief that art carries its greatest force when it sparks public awareness and encourages change.