It is true... thanks to this collaboration between the Chinese artist and the German do-it-yourself brand, Hornbach, now is possible to buy an installation that anyone could simply assemble at his home.
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"Art is for everyone. Everyone has the ability to do it art. You have to try it in a much wider context than in the restricted circle of the art world." With these opening lines, the video presentation of Ai Weiwei's latest project, "Safety Jackets Zipped the Other Way" is presented to the public. The Chinese artist, who has expressed this egalitarian idea of the artistic activity on many other occasions, has decided to set up a collaboration with Hornbach, a German brand that sells materials for do-it-yourself. The idea is to produce a work that is aimed at everyone and not just professionals: "I made this project for the public", comments the artist, "for people who are not necessarily museum visitors, or collectors. The work meaning can be created by anyone."
The "sculpture" can be performed online in different cases and then mounted in its own location following the instructions (with a certificate of authenticity, however). It is a series of orange signaling jackets tied together and then hung on a steel pole structure. On an esthetically established level, it refers to other works by Ai Weiwei: those of the late eighties, in which he used raincoats buttoned together, but also the most recent ones are dedicated to the theme of migrants, characterized by the frequent use of inflatable boats and life jackets. The work can be composed of four, five or seven jackets and can be mounted on the ground or on the wall; the small version is available for 150 Euros, while the large version for 500.
According to Ai Weiwei, in addition to the mounting, there is an attribution of meaning. The work would, in fact, be directed "to people who have a sense of humour and understand that the meaning of art can be created by anyone at any time". It happens, on the other hand, for any work of art, whether to be built, pre-assembled or "ready-made", It is to be hoped that at least the instructions will be ignored or intentionally misrepresented by buyers, as has always happened with the most popular objects of Ikea, giving life to a series of different and unexpected works.