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''Man in a cube'' is a contemporary sculpture created by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei in 2017 for the exhibition ''Luther and the Avant-Garde'' marking the quincentenary of the Reformation. It has been on permanent display in the courtyard of
Eisenach präsentiert Lutherjahr-Skulptur von Ai Weiwei
in:
Article about “Man in a cube” on the Website of the Lutherhaus Eisenach
Ai Weiwei about “Man in a cube”
Installation of “Man in a cube” at the Lutherhaus Eisenach
''Man in a cube'' is a contemporary sculpture created by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei in 2017 for the exhibition ''Luther and the Avant-Garde'' marking the quincentenary of the Reformation. It has been on permanent display in the courtyard of Lutherhaus Eisenach
Lutherhaus Eisenach is one of the oldest surviving half-timbered houses in Thuringia. Tradition holds that Martin Luther lived there with the Cotta family during his schooldays in Eisenach from 1498 to 1501. The Lutherhaus has been one of the most ...
since October 2020.
Description
The sculpture consists of two concrete slabs (je 150 x 105 x 52 cm) aligned parallel to each other. The sides facing each other produce a cavity with the form of a seated man. The figure’s face bears the artist’s features.Background
With ''man in a cube'', Ai Weiwei is dealing with the oppressive experiences of his eighty-one day secret imprisonment by authorities in the People’s Republic of China. The artist himself described his work as “... a concrete block, which contains within it a single figure in solitude. That figure is the likeness of myself during my eighty-one days under secret detention in 2011. As an individual, once you have your idea and language, you can extend your existence through art.” Ideas and language are what sustained Ai Weiwei morally during his imprisonment. Ideas and language are what he finds intriguing about Martin Luther too: “Martin Luther is an important figure in German history, especially with his contributions towards language. He’s very impressive to me. An individual’s free expression is so important to our human development. I wanted to take part in this exhibition to memorialize him.”Original Display (2017)
The sculpture was created in 2017 for the exhibition ''Luther and the Avant-Garde'' in Lutherstadt Wittenberg during the Reformation quincentenary festivities and was displayed together with other contemporary works of art at the Old Prison there from May 19 to November 1, 2017. The exhibition’s overarching theme was artistic treatment of Martin Luther’s ideas elaborated in his treatiseOn the Freedom of a Christian
''On the Freedom of a Christian'' (Latin: ''"De Libertate Christiana"''; German: ''"Von der Freiheit eines Christenmenschen"''), sometimes also called ''"A Treatise on Christian Liberty"'' (November 1520), was the third of Martin Luther’s major ...
.
Permanent Display (since 2020)
The ''Stiftung Lutherhaus Eisenach'' had endeavored since 2017 to make the sculpture and “exceptional manifestation of contemporary Reformation commemoration” permanently accessible to the public. Supported by numerous backers, the museum finally succeeded in acquiring the sculpture in 2019. ''Man in a cube'' was permanently installed in the courtyard of the Lutherhaus in August of 2020, the quincentenary of Luther’s ''On the Freedom of a Christian'', and presented to the public in a ceremony on October 9, 2020.in:
Die Zeit
''Die Zeit'' (, "The Time") is a German national weekly newspaper published in Hamburg in Germany. The newspaper is generally considered to be among the German newspapers of record and is known for its long and extensive articles.
History
The ...
online, October 2, 2020 (in German). Retrieved September 28, 2021.
External links
Article about “Man in a cube” on the Website of the Lutherhaus Eisenach
Ai Weiwei about “Man in a cube”
Installation of “Man in a cube” at the Lutherhaus Eisenach
References