Ai Weiwei is one of the leading cultural figures of our time, recognized for the influence and profound social impact of his work across a variety of media. On October 12th Public Art Fund will present a timely new exhibition across all five boroughs by the multi—disciplinary artist called Good Fences Make Good Neighbors. Inspired by the international migration crisis and tense sociopolitical battles surrounding the issue in the United States and worldwide, Weiwei has conceived of this ambitious, multi—site project as a way of transforming the metal wire security fence into a powerful artistic symbol. The conversation will be moderated by Vivian Yee, a national immigration correspondent at The New York Times.

Ai Weiwei was born in 1957 in Beijing. He lives and works in both Berlin and Beijing. He attended the Beijing Film Academy and later, on moving to New York (1983-1993), continued his studies at the Parsons School of Design. Major solo exhibitions include the National Gallery in Prague, Czech Republic (2017); Palazzo Strozzi, Florence, Italy (2016); 21er Haus Museum of Contemporary Art, Vienna, Austria (2016); Helsinki Art Museum, Finland (2016); Royal Academy of Art, London, UK (2015); Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin, Germany (2014); Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington D.C. (2012); Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taiwan (2011); Tate Modern, London (2010); and Haus der Kunst, Munich (2009). Architectural collaborations include the 2012 Serpentine Pavilion and the 2008 Beijing National Stadium, with Herzog and de Meuron. Among numerous awards and honors, he was granted the lifetime achievement award from the Chinese Contemporary Art Awards in 2008 and the Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent from the Human Rights Foundation, New York in 2012; he was made Honorary Academician at the Royal Academy of Arts, London in 2011. He was given the Ambassador of Conscience Award by Amnesty International, London in 2015.

The Public Art Fund Talks at The New School feature internationally-renowned artists who offer their insights into art and its personal, social, and cultural contexts. This joint initiative between Public Art Fund and the Vera List Center for Art and Politics conceives of New York City’s urban environment as a university campus, an artist’s studio, as well as an evolving commons. PAF’s commitment to art in the public realm and the VLC’s embrace of art as political expression encourage a dynamic platform for artists to reflect on their practice and to offer a new understanding about the changing nature of public space today.

Sponsored by The New York Times in collaboration with the Vera List Center for Art and Politics at The New School.