Indeed neither I, nor other visitors can do so since visitors are now prohibited to walk, lie on or touch the work. The dust from crushed ceramic seeds apparently is a health hazard to some people so visitors can no longer physically interact with the work. I would have loved to have felt what it was like to walk on it and hear the scrunch underfoot.
This raked 'sea' of ceramic sunflower seeds is to be found displayed on the floor of the huge turbine hall.
Each 'seed' has been individually painted by community workshops in Jingdezhen China.
Unilever coincidentally makes products from Sunflower oil which is the non-volatile oil expressed from sunflower (Helianthus annuus) seeds - the real ones rather than the ceramic varieties in show!
The 100 million ceramic seeds of the art show that make up the display pose questions to the viewer
What does it mean to be an individual in today's society?
Are we insignificant or powerless unless we act together?
What do our increasing desires, materialism and number mean for society, the environment and the future?"
These questions above are posed by the TATE Modern Gallery programme for the show but also have daily relevance to our world of selling or buying -whether we be a global corporation like Unilever or as an individual consumer.
Through sponsoring the Artist Wei Wei the Unilever brand logo is promoted .
160 million times a day someone chooses a Unilever product in the world (-some 1.5 times more than the ceramic seeds on display!).
For those not able to get to the show in London before it closes on May 2nd - here are some photos accompanied by those questions.
What does it mean to be an individual in today's society?
Are we insignificant or powerless unless we act together?
What do our increasing desires, materialism and number mean for society, the environment and the future?"
What does it mean to be an individual in today's society?
Are we insignificant or powerless unless we act together?
What do our increasing desires, materialism and number mean for society, the environment and the future?"
What does it mean to be an individual in today's society?
Are we insignificant or powerless unless we act together?
What do our increasing desires, materialism and number mean for society, the environment and the future?"
What does it mean to be an individual in today's society?
Are we insignificant or powerless unless we act together?
What do our increasing desires, materialism and number mean for society, the environment and the future?"
http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/unileverseries2010/
Ai Weiwei was arrested by the Chinese authorities on 4th April as he tried to board a plane to Hong Kong.
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