Ai Weiwei (Chinese, born 1957), Marble Chair, 2008. Marble, 120.02 x 55.88 x 45.72 cm. Minneapolis Institute of Art, Gift of funds from Eric Dayton in honor of Bruce Dayton, 2010.24. Copyright © Ai Weiwei 2008

Ai Weiwei persistently questions the conventions and traditions of his Chinese heritage, and his work often draws upon personal experience. Marble Chair is a conceptual, sculptural response to the systematic destruction of Chinese culture that began during the Cultural Revolution (1966–76). Hewn from a single block of marble to resemble a traditional yoke‑back chair, Marble Chair is a small-scale monument to one of the few objects Ai’s family was allowed to keep when they were sent into exile. Ai’s collaborations with highly skilled artisans, in this case marble carvers, are a means of elevating and conserving traditional skills. As a superb piece of craftsmanship, Marble Chair is also a poignant symbol of China’s position as the world’s largest manufacturing center.