Ai Weiwei, Antony Gormley, Abraham Cruzvillegas on Their Cities
A collaboration between Tate and The Guardian produces a video series exploring how urban environments shape contemporary artists. The first episode features Ai Weiwei on Beijing, a city he says prioritizes modernity over human needs, resulting in lost identity and history. Ai lives in a migrant and student district where galleries enjoy creative freedom. Antony Gormley's studio is in London's Kings Cross; his sculptures, often isolated figures on rooftops or bridges, aim to highlight life's extraordinariness rather than entertain. Abraham Cruzvillegas draws on Mexico City's contradictions and precariousness, assembling used objects into tragically balanced works that convey social protest and popular pride. The three videos contrast their divergent poetics.
Key facts
- Tate and The Guardian collaborated on a video series about artists and their cities.
- Ai Weiwei discusses Beijing, noting its lack of human-centered design and loss of identity.
- Ai Weiwei lives in a migrant and student area where galleries have creative freedom.
- Antony Gormley's studio is in Kings Cross, London.
- Gormley's works are not meant to entertain but to show life's extraordinariness.
- Abraham Cruzvillegas uses Mexico City's contradictions and precariousness in his art.
- Cruzvillegas assembles used objects in a tragic balance, expressing social protest.
- The series presents three divergent artistic poetics.
Entities
Artists
- Ai Weiwei
- Antony Gormley
- Abraham Cruzvillegas
- Federica Polidoro
Institutions
- Tate
- The Guardian
- Artribune
Locations
- Beijing
- China
- London
- United Kingdom
- Kings Cross
- Mexico City
- Mexico