If 2012 was any indication, artist and activist Ai Weiwei always has a new, unexpected, and brilliant project on the horizon. His exhibition at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C., Ai Weiwei: According to What?, just closed after five months of positive reviews and high visitation, his documentary (released last July), Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, continues to inspire and educate people worldwide, and his Weiwei-isms book put many of his famous quotes into an important book.
His latest move, you ask? This morning, Ai Weiwei announced that he'd be releasing a heavy metal album inspired by his 81 days in secretive detention in 2011. He says, "When I was arrested, they (his guards) would often ask me to sing songs, but because I wasn't familiar with music, I was embarrassed...After that I thought: when I'm out, I'd like to do something related to music." The album will be titled Divina Commedia (named after the Dante poem), and two of the songs are about blind legal activist, Chen Guangchen, and his escape from house arrest last year.
Based on the success of his "Gangnam Style" parody last October, we're hardly surprised that Ai Weiwei has also announced a follow-up pop/rock album. He also assures fans that his new musical endeavors will not halt his artistic production. Knowing him, the two will seamlessly work hand in hand.
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[via Reuters]
