Asia
Ai WeiWei’s contribution to the Year of the Snake is to Combat fear with truth
The controversial Chinese artist will have a 5-color silkscreen available for 24 hours
Ai WeiWei considers the snake, like himself, to be greatly misrepresented. While the snake is misunderstood, it also has “a rich array of legendary meanings,” according to his Zodiac memoir. Ai WeiWei also mentions that snakes reflect the future because they are perfectly unpredictable.
Each year before the Lunar New Year, Ai WeiWei releases a print for collectors to buy. Last year, he put out Everyone is a dragon, a print of a LEGO-influenced dragon. This year’s print is a pixel-snake titled Combat fear with truth, which will be available to purchase for 24 hours on AvanteArt.com on January 29, the first day of the Lunar New Year this year.
The pixelated snake seems simple to the casual observer, but it is a 10-layer print with five different colors made by the printmasters at Make-Ready in London. The print will cost nearly US$900 and it’s limited number will depend on how many are sold in 204 hours.
Get a piece of Ai WeiWei’s kindred spirit on the print Combat fear with truth here.