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Map of China

Ai Weiwei Chinese

2006

Not on view

This map of China is constructed out of interlocking wood elements salvaged from destroyed temples of the Qing dynasty (1644–1911). The work is a poignant assertion that modern China is a mosaic of fragments from its past. The jigsaw-puzzle-like configuration of its heterogeneous pieces may also be read as a symbol of China’s cultural and ethnic diversity, asserting that while China remains distinctly singular, it is a fusion of countless individuals. Ai’s Map challenges our ability to imagine how such a complex state came into existence, how it has managed to survive for so long, and whether or not it can be maintained.

Map of China, Ai Weiwei (Chinese, born Beijing, 1957), Ironwood (tieli mu) from dismantled Qing dynasty (1644–1911) temples, China — This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: Map of China

Artist: Ai Weiwei (Chinese, born Beijing, 1957)

Date: 2006

Culture: China

Medium: Ironwood (tieli mu) from dismantled Qing dynasty (1644–1911) temples

Dimensions: H. 15 3/4 in. (40 cm); W. 36 1/2 in. (92.7 cm); D. 31 1/2 in. (80 cm)

Classification: Sculpture

Credit Line: Lent by Stockamp Tsai Collection

Rights and Reproduction: © Ai Weiwei

The Met

Asian Art at The Met

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world.