FREE Documentary Film Screenings for Volunteers & Staff: Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry

Posted by on .

Dear Colleagues,

 

What is happening?

  • Mark your calendars to get inspired and learn more about the artist behind  the provocative exhibition Ai Weiwei: According to What? which opens at the AGO August 17, 2013.
  • You are invited to an exclusive free staff and volunteer screening of the acclaimed documentary Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry. 

 

Ai Wei Wei

Who is Ai Weiwei?

  • Ai Weiwei (pronounced I-Way-Way) is one of the world’s most prolific and important artists practicing today.   He’s as famous for his tweets criticizing the government of China’s restrictions on freedom of expression, as he is for his art.  Given that the Chinese government has his passport and won’t let him leave the country, it’s extremely unlikely we’ll get to meet  him in person.  This film will give you a sense of the man and his political activism.

 

When are the screenings?

  • Three screenings will be held to accommodate as many schedules as possible.
  • Thursday, February 7, 12:30 pm
  • Friday, Feb 8, 12:30 pm
  • Wednesday, February 13, 5:30 pm
  • All screenings will be held in Jackman Hall.
  • You do NOT need to RSVP – you can simply show up at one of the designated times. Please wear your volunteer badge. 

 

Is it important for me to see this film?

  • Ai Weiwei was named #1 on Art Review’s 2011 Power 100 list and was a runner up for Time Magazine’s 2011 Person of the Year.
  • We are excited to be able to bring this exhibition to the Gallery – it’s one of the largest solo shows for the artist ever held and we are the only Canadian venue on the North American tour.
  • The Gallery will soon be talking publicly about the artist and his political activism and will continue the discussion during the exhibition – we’ll need your help to get the message out.  What better way to learn than hear from the artist himself?

 

What is the film about?

  • The award-winning Never Sorry is the first feature-length film about the artist, documenting his preparations for a series of exhibitions and his increasing clashes with the Chinese government.
  • Director Alison Klayman features Ai Weiwei’s artistic process in preparation for major museum exhibitions, his intimate exchanges with family members and his increasingly public clashes with the Chinese government.
  • The film is 90 minutes, and was released to the public in July 2012.

 

What if I can’t make these screenings?  Will there be another opportunity for me to see the film? 

  • If there is enough interest, we’ll look to schedule more screenings.

 

What type of work is included in the exhibition?

  • This exhibition demonstrates Ai Weiwei’s broad artistic practice and includes sculpture, photography, audio, video, and site-specific installations.
  • Many of his works employ simple forms and methods that evoke and play with notions of conceptual and Minimal art, while others manipulate traditional furniture, ancient pottery, and daily objects in ways that question cultural values and political authority.
  • More recent works address his ongoing investigation into the aftermath of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake as well as his detention and continual surveillance by Chinese authorities. In each piece, Ai emphasizes the value and place of the individual within society.

 

 

Iain Hoadley

Interim Head of Exhibition Operations

and Senior Project Manager