Artist - Ai Weiwei

Chinese contemporary artist Ai Weiwei is "active in sculpture, installation, architecture, curating, photography, film and social, political and cultural criticism" (according to Wikipedia).

Having been incarcerated over the summer in China for alleged tax evasion (but well believed for his criticism of the Chinese government), Weiwei was included in this year's Time Magzine 100 Most Influential People in the World and named Art Review Magazine's most powerful figure in the art world.

• Sunflower Seeds, 2010

"In October 2010, Sunflower Seeds was installed at the Tate Modern Turbine Hall, London. The work consists of one hundred million porcelain "seeds," each individually hand-painted in the town of Jingdezhen by 1,600 Chinese artisans, and scattered over a large area of the exhibition hall. The artist was keen for visitors to walk across and roll in the work to experience and contemplate the essence of his comment on mass consumption, Chinese industry, famine and collective work. However, on 16 October, Tate Modern stopped people from walking on the exhibit due to health liability concerns over the porcelain dust. In February 2011, a 220-pound (100 kg) pile from Sunflower Seeds sold for $559,394 (well above its high estimate of $195,000) at Sotheby's in London."

(Wikipedia)

• Template, 2008

Template was made of "wooden doors and windows from destroyed Ming and Qing Dynasty houses (1368-1911);" however, was destroyed in a storm.

• Bird's Nest - 2008 Beijing Olympic Stadium

Weiwei was a creative consultant for the stadium's design.