“Good fences make good neighbors” is a folksy proverb cited in American poet Robert Frost’s Mending Wall, where the need for a boundary wall is being questioned. Ai chose this title with an ironic smile and a keen sense of how populist notions often stir up fear and prejudice. Visitors to the exhibition will discover that Ai’s “good fences” are not impenetrable barriers but powerful, immersive, and resonant additions to the fabric of the city.
This exhibition was curated by Public Art Fund.
2017 • New York
Ai Weiwei
Good Fences Make Good Neighbors
for UAP • New York
Created by multidisciplinary artist and activist, Ai Weiwei, using the fence as a metaphor, the artwork references structures of power and control to provoke discussion about inherent contradictions and divisions of the world we live in.
Arch and Gilded Cage are two interactive art pieces allowing viewers to walk into and around the work, inviting them to not only interact with the installation.
Built by UAP New York, Arch and Gilded Cage are tall cage-like structure installed on New York’s iconic Washington Square made from mirror polished and gilded stainless steel.
