Li Wei

by Li Wei (Photographer)

A man falls to earth headfirst, cutting into the ground and resting there, feet up, like an unexploded bomb. A young woman humors a playful pet, an artist's head, as it bites the hem of her skirt. Li Wei, a young Beijing performance artist, has begun to pop up in the American media, and with images like these, it's no wonder. He received his earliest significant public exposure following an impromptu event at the 2000 Shanghai Biennial, in which he put his head through a hole in a mirror and attended (and was ejected from) a crowded reception. Recent pieces, including the public Green Gay Flag and the private It Would Not Die Away Like Such, have been both politically and sexually daring. This first monograph catalogues the artist's perceptive and often funny insights into China today and tomorrow.

Genres: Art

112 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2006

About the author

Li Wei is Pro-Vice-Master of Birkbeck College, University of London, UK, where he is Chair of Applied Linguistics and Director of the Birkbeck Graduate Research School. He is Academician of Social Sciences, and Chair of the General & Applied Linguistics, UK, and is Principal Editor of the International Journal of Bilingualism.

Reviews

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's all pretty amazing, from the disembodied heads to the freefalling people. A small taste here (Google for more): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m35NSo...

[Aaron the Pink Donut · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice little collection of the Beijing based performance artist work. While the images are great the text is a really informative, witty and just plan funny. Just a great book all around.