╳ Far from being industrially produced, they are the effort of hundreds of skilled hands. Each seed has been individually sculpted and painted by specialists working in small-scale workshops in the Chinese city of Jingdezhen. Poured into the interior of the Turbine Hall’s vast industrial space, the 100 million seeds form a seemingly infinite landscape. Porcelain is almost synonymous with China and, to make this work, Ai Weiwei has manipulated traditional methods of crafting what has historically been one of China’s most prized exports. ‘Sunflower Seeds’ invites us to look more closely at the ‘Made in China’ phenomenon and the geo-politics of cultural and economic exchange today. ╳ The landscape of sunflower seeds can be looked upon from the Turbine Hall bridge, or viewed at close-range in the east end of the Turbine Hall, and although it is no longer possible to walk on the surface of the work, visitors can still walk close to the edges of the sunflower seed landscape.
╳ Ai Weiwei's Unilever Series commission, ‘Sunflower Seeds’, is a beautiful, poignant and thought-provoking installation. The thinking behind the work lies in far more than just the idea of walking on it. The precious nature of the material, the effort of production and the narrative and personal content create a powerful commentary on the human condition. ‘Sunflower Seeds’ is a commentary on the relationship between the individual and the masses and poses the challenging questions: What does it mean to be an individual in today's society? And: Are we insignificant or powerless unless we act together?
