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Based in Beijing, Ai Weiwei is one of China's most prominent artists. Born in 1957, he grew up in exile in the remote desert province of Xinjiang. His father, the renowned poet Ai Qing, was accused of anti-communist activities during the Cultural Revolution and was sent into political confinement there with his family.
 
In 1981, Ai Weiwei relocated to the United States living in the Lower East Side of New York City. He enrolled in Parsons School of Design while taking road trips with Taiwanese performance artist Tehching Hsieh and befriending poet Allen Ginsberg. He discovered an affinity with Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol and Marcel Duchamp.
 
Working part-time as a baby-sitter, construction worker and printer, he hit the blackjack tables in Atlantic City on weekends. After twelve years, he returned to China when his father fell ill. During this period, he published books about visual arts, poetry and music. With art historian Hans van Dijk and collector Frank Uytterhaegen, he founded the non-profit space China Art Archives & Warehouse in 1999.
 
In response to a municipally propagandising Shanghai Biennale, in 2000 he co-curated (with Feng Boyi) the landmark exhibition 'Fuck Off'. As a way of consolidating his interests in architecture, design and visual arts, he built his own design studio that became known as Fake, eventually working with Herzog & de Meuron on the concept for their Beijing National Stadium. Ai Weiwei spoke with Natalie King on the occasion of the artist's survey exhibition and special project at Sydney's Campbelltown Arts Centre.
 
Natalie King: How has your work been influenced by your early history as the son of a poet, Ai Qing, exiled and persecuted during the Cultural Revolution?
 
Ai Weiwei: I think my family imprints are not directly in terms of practice, and more in terms of growing up in a family that has an association with art and literature. My father was a very devoted and literary man. His perspective and understanding about the world made an impact on me. But he never forced us to study art or literature. We took it as our own decision.
NK: Many of your works involve redesigning or salvaging found objects, particularly those embedded with history. Can you tell me about your Duchampian approach to existing objects and your method of transforming them into sculptural and architectural forms?
 
AWW: For me dealing with existing objects such as found objects or readymades is dealing with human perception and with the meaning that the object carries. A functional traditional object carries a message and meaning and by working and dealing with it you give it a reinterpretation. So the work would carry more arguments, more conflicts and more difficult conditions.
 
NK: Much has been written about your collaboration with Herzog & de Meuron in designing the centrepiece stadium for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games with its distinctive bird's nest shape made from steel lattice. Subsequently, you have refused to attend the opening ceremony in August, criticising 'the kind of feeling stirred up by promotion or propaganda'.  What are your current thoughts on this situation?
 
AWW: Firstly, nobody ever invited me to the opening ceremony and I didn't even have a chance to refuse. I have refused when people asked my opinion if I was willing to go there. I expressed the feeling that I don't care, because I am not so interested in sport; I am not so interested in this type of celebration. It's just a personal decision.And I have always held one position - no current or future or previous positions. It is always one position.
 
The Olympics are a part of China's opening-up policy. Politically speaking it is good for China. It has to force the Chinese government to be a part of the international community, to speak the same type of language. What I am disappointed with is the so called preparation and celebration. There are so many important issues that are not being raised. But it became a showcase just to show how glamorous or fine China is, which is not the truth.
 
I think China has still tremendous problems. Some problems are from 50 or 100 years of history; some problems from current bureaucratic structures. And if those questions are not clearly answered that means that China hasn't enough courage to face those problems and the Olympics is only a party with masks - it's not interesting.
 
NK: You work across disciplines as an artist, architect, designer, writer and curator with a thriving blogsite read by 10,000 people a day. How do you negotiate these positions? How does your Beijing studio and Fake design operate?
 
AWW: All my works are lead by one clear goal which is: no goal, no real purpose. Under that structure everything is possible and everything is equally important. So as long as I am still alive, I have all the time I have. I don't see that many problems. You can only take as much as you can take. There is a limit - we all know that.
 
This article appears in excerpted form. You can read the entire article in Art & Australia's Winter 2008 issue.