Artist Ai Weiwei encourages fans to stick a middle finger up in new online project
Ai Weiwei, a Chinese visual artist and activist, has famously stuck his middle finger up to significant landmarks around the world as part of his photography project Study of Perspective.
The artist has frequently voiced his opinions against authority and the Chinese government, subsequently using his art to convey his critiques. He created a series of photographs involving his outstretched arm bearing a middle finger at different locations and monuments between 1995 and 2017, leaving viewers to question their acquiescence to government authority.
The first photo in the series was taken at Tiananmen Square, which endured a violent protest in 1989, where thousands of civilians were killed or injured.
However, Ai has teamed up with Avant Arte to provide an online platform where users can superimpose the artist’s middle finger onto photos of other iconic landmarks, paintings or their own images. A statement for the project reads, “The archive of images will be on display on avantarte.com, and people are invited to use #studyofperspective when sharing on social media.”
A high-resolution cut-out of Ai’s hand is available to download to inspire others to engage in their own small acts of rebellion. Art by the likes of Banksy and Vincent van Gogh, alongside landmarks such as the Trump Tower and the Statue of Liberty, are available for use on the website.
