Need Inspiration? : Ai Weiwei. With Milk.

I discovered this work at the Barcelona Pavilion while traveling through Spain and browsing the site's gift shop. I am often intrigued by artists who engage with architecture to present new narratives, utilizing the built environment and guiding alternative perspectives of architecture. This example is no exception, as Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei presents the familiar in an unfamiliar way, contributing a unique work to the "intervention" series hosted by the pavilion.

Ai Weiwei illustrates his interpretation of the historic architectural work in his project, "With Milk_find something everybody can use". He strives to redefine the common view of the Barcelona Pavilion as a "place where only gods dwell", claiming, "perhaps this view has left out the modern dream of equality, as well as architecture of living, the needs of every ordinary person." WeiWei also notes that Mies often spoke out about this needs with expressions such as "general solution" and "common language".

By exchanging the water in the front pool with milk and the smaller, rear pool with coffee, Ai Weiwei addresses the non-static and maintenance-heavy components of the architecture. He exposes processes of labor required for preserving the relic that allow it to be displayed in a relatable manner. He claims that "upkeeping the condition of milk and coffee is the same as preserving a body; a demanding effort against light, air, warmth".

For more, purchase the book or visit the pavilion's foundation website.

#art #architecture #miesvanderrohe #aiweiwei #barcelonapavilion