Ai Weiwei
To Be Looked At…
2024
CNC cut aluminium sculpture
15.2 × 35 × 17.5 cm
Ed. /200
Location: Paris, France
Documents
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Invoice or proof of purchase
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Certificate of authenticity
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Other documents
About the artwork
To Be Looked At… is a refined CNC-milled aluminium sculpture by Ai Weiwei, continuing the artist’s exploration of industrial materials, precision fabrication, and the transformation of functional forms into conceptual objects. The piece features a highly engineered, mechanical aesthetic reminiscent of surveillance devices, architectural fixtures, or industrial components, objects Ai Weiwei often recontextualizes to reflect on power, control, and the systems that shape contemporary life. The metallic surface and crisp geometry give the artwork a futuristic quality while underscoring Ai’s interest in visual language derived from mass production and state machinery. Produced as a limited edition of 200, each sculpture is engraved with the artist’s signature and edition number on the reverse. The work can be displayed on a flat surface or mounted on a wall, offering installation flexibility and strong sculptural presence.
Expert opinion
This edition reflects Ai Weiwei’s long-standing engagement with industrial aesthetics and the political resonances of manufactured objects. The CNC-cut aluminium technique aligns with the artist’s interest in precision, replication, and the tension between individuality and mechanisation.
As a limited edition of 200, the work sits in the desirable category of Ai Weiwei sculptures that are accessible yet conceptually rich. Its mechanical, almost utilitarian design echoes Ai’s iconic explorations of surveillance and state power, subjects that remain central to his international reputation.
Because of its compact scale, high-quality fabrication, and engraved signature, To Be Looked At… appeals both to established collectors of Ai Weiwei and to new audiences entering the realm of conceptual sculpture.
About the artist
Ai Weiwei (b. 1957) is one of the most influential contemporary artists and activists of our time. Born in Beijing, he is the son of the celebrated poet Ai Qing, who was persecuted during the Anti-Rightist Movement, leading the family to spend years in forced exile in remote regions of China. This early experience of oppression and censorship profoundly shaped Ai Weiwei’s artistic and political consciousness.
Ai studied animation at the Beijing Film Academy before becoming a founding member of the avant-garde Stars Art Group in 1979, a movement that openly challenged artistic restrictions in post-Mao China. In 1981 he moved to New York, where he absorbed Western art movements—particularly conceptual art, minimalism, and the work of artists like Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol, and Jasper Johns. He returned to China in the early 1990s and quickly established himself as a central figure in the country’s contemporary art scene.
His multidisciplinary practice spans sculpture, installation, photography, architecture, social media, and filmmaking. Ai is known for transforming everyday materials—Lego bricks, porcelain, bicycles, wood, found objects—into powerful reflections on identity, history, human rights, and state control. Major projects such as Sunflower Seeds (Tate Modern), Straight (about the Sichuan earthquake), and his global refugee-focused installations have cemented his reputation as an artist unafraid to confront political power.
Ai Weiwei’s outspoken criticism of the Chinese government led to his arrest, imprisonment, and surveillance in 2011, events that further heightened his international prominence. Since leaving China, he has lived and worked in Berlin, Cambridge (UK), and Portugal while continuing his global advocacy for freedom of expression and humanitarian issues.
His work is held in the world’s most important museums, including the Tate, MoMA, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim, the Hirshhorn, and the Centre Pompidou. Ai Weiwei's practice exists at the intersection of art and activism, making him a defining voice in contemporary global culture.
Additional info
Signed
3x
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