MILLIONS OF SEEDS

when i was in london, i really wanted to go to the tate modern. there is currently an exhibit by the chinese artist AI WEIWEI which occupied the turbine hall at the tate. the turbine hall is a massive hall where they commission artists to usually do site specific work. ai weiwei filled it with millions of life size porcelain sunflower seeds. at first glance it looks like they are just run of the mill sunflower seeds, but upon closer inspection they are hand crafted, no two are alike, porcelain objects. porcelain and chinese culture go hand in hand, it used to be the number one trade object for china. and the sun was a major symbolic factor in chinese propaganda art. it would symbolize growth, glory and power. ai weiwei blends these two old chinese standards and makes something exciting, new and overwhelming to look at. when the exhibit first opened you could walk on the seeds and i was most excited about that, but it has since been closed to walking and you can view and touch it from the perimeters. totally amazing and inspiring work!