Porcelain Cube,

2009

<p> <em>Porcelain Cube </em>resembles the PVC pipes used in modern plumbing systems. However, this basic modular design unit is assembled from tubes of blue-and-white porcelain, valued as a precious material representing virtuosic Chinese craft. Imperial Chinese artisans refined porcelain techniques to create vessels and dishware coveted by domestic courtiers and European consumers. In its disparities, <em>Porcelain Cube </em>registers a commentary about the changing value of Chinese commodities on the global market and the notion of heritage while it disrupts dominant narratives of art. A simple geometric form, the cube was celebrated by twentieth-century artists who promoted minimalist forms as pure artistic expression. Ai Weiwei routes attention from the cube’s simple lines to the ornate design of the porcelain and its fragility as a building block. </p>