Murano Glass.
Signed and numbered on the accompanying certificate and inscribed on the bottom.
Less than 20 compiled with matching numbers out of the total edition of 100.
Ai Weiwei’s Vases in Black and White (2024) presents a striking diptych of Murano glass vessels, each rendered in either deep black or pure white. Shaped in the silhouette of ancient Chinese storage jars, the vases bear the embossed Coca-Cola logo, merging traditional craftsmanship with a critique of global branding. Each vase measures 22 × 20.5 cm. The edition is signed and numbered on an accompanying certificate, while the bottom of each vase is inscribed. Fewer than 20 matched-number sets were compiled from the full edition of 100, making this a particularly rare set.
Ai Weiwei (China, 1957) is a globally influential artist and activist blending conceptual art with political commentary. Known for provocative works like Sunflower Seeds and Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn, he critiques authority, censorship, and human rights abuses. His installations, films, and public interventions challenge societal norms and inspire global dialogue.
GlassGlass is a transparent solid that varies in composition depending on the type. Artists use different types of glass to create art forms such as stained glass, blown glass, and various decorated pieces. Glass can be cut, textured, overlaid, engraved, and shaped in many ways to produce intricate and beautiful works of art.
Murano Glass.
Signed and numbered on the accompanying certificate and inscribed on the bottom.
Less than 20 compiled with matching numbers out of the total edition of 100.
Ai Weiwei’s Vases in Black and White (2024) presents a striking diptych of Murano glass vessels, each rendered in either deep black or pure white. Shaped in the silhouette of ancient Chinese storage jars, the vases bear the embossed Coca-Cola logo, merging traditional craftsmanship with a critique of global branding. Each vase measures 22 × 20.5 cm. The edition is signed and numbered on an accompanying certificate, while the bottom of each vase is inscribed. Fewer than 20 matched-number sets were compiled from the full edition of 100, making this a particularly rare set.
Ai Weiwei (China, 1957) is a globally influential artist and activist blending conceptual art with political commentary. Known for provocative works like Sunflower Seeds and Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn, he critiques authority, censorship, and human rights abuses. His installations, films, and public interventions challenge societal norms and inspire global dialogue.
If my art has nothing to do with people's pain and sorrow, what is 'art' for?
- Ai Weiwei
Receiving worldwide acclaim for his activism, Ai Weiwei’s work spans across several mediums as an architect, curator and filmmaker. Ai’s most recognised social commentaries pertain to the Chinese government and the loss of traditional culture; Sunflower Seeds - a piece displayed at the Tate Modern - featured the scattering of over 60 million hand-painted porcelain ‘seeds’, an allusion to the destructive nature of mass consumption and the subsequent loss of individuality. Prior to the cultural revolution that took place in China, Ai and his family had first been sent to a labour camp, then subsequently exiled for 16 years. Upon the Chinese reform, Ai moved to New York and was notably influenced by the work of Andy Warhol and Marcel Duchamp; he also met beat poet, Allen Ginsberg, around this time, and developed his own philosophies on the schism between Western and traditional cultures. Coca Cola Vase is another of Ai’s most acclaimed works; a Han dynasty urn that has been emblazoned with the Coca Cola logo – another nod to the ever-expanding consumerist culture. (Artist website)
Activist Art is a form of art created to address social and political issues. It often involves public engagement and works closely with communities to raise awareness or inspire change. While it can include elements of performance art, it is not limited to this form. Examples include creating and distributing social protest posters or organizing community-based art projects that highlight specific causes.