Helmet – Ai Weiwei

Helmet, a marble sculpture, is a replica of a worker’s hard hat used by those who tried to save the lives of victims in the days after the Sichuan earthquake. Recently, helmets like this have come to represent the form of protection worn during civil conflict, including during the pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong and famously by the White Helmets of the Syria Civil Defense.

About the Artist

Ai Weiwei is a Chinese contemporary artist and activist. Ai collaborated with Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron as the artistic consultant on the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Olympics. As a political activist, he has been highly and openly critical of the Chinese Government’s stance on democracy and human rights. He has investigated government corruption and cover-ups, in particular the Sichuan schools corruption scandal following the collapse of so-called “tofu-dreg schools” in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. In 2011, following his arrest at Beijing Capital International Airport on April 3rd, he was held for 81 days without any official charges being filed; officials alluded to their allegations of “economic crimes”.

Helmet is displayed at Room 178, 1st floor, River City Bangkok.