Year: 2005
Medium: Ming dynasty wooden table
Dimensions: 61 x 184 x 120 cm (24 x 72 1/2 x 47 1/4 in.)
Acquired from Sotheby’s, 2026
An antique table made during the Ming dynasty has been reconstructed into a two-legged form. Unable to stand on its own, the tabletop bends dramatically like a valley that makes it impossible to place objects on it. It has become an impractical object with no function beyond the fact that it was once a table. During the Cultural Revolution, China sought to destroy its traditional culture and ideas. Yet, on closer inspection, this work is not an act of destruction. Ai uses the same traditional techniques as Ming dynasty craftsmen to create a useless desk filled with irony, expressing his anger toward the suppression of culture and artistic expression.
