A FAMILY STORY AND THE TALE OF A NATION. Ai Weiwei - one of the world's most famous artists and activists - weaves a century-long epic tale of China through the story of his own life and that of his father, Ai Qing, the nation's most celebrated poet. 'Engrossing...a remarkable story' Sunday Times Here, through the sweeping lens of his own and his father's life, Ai Weiwei tells an epic tale of China over the last 100 years, from the Cultural Revolution to the modern-day Chinese Communist Party. Here is the story of a childhood spent in desolate exile after his father, Ai Qing, once China's most celebrated poet, fell foul of the authorities. Here is his move to America as a young man and his return to China, his rise from unknown to art-world superstar and international rights activist. Here is his extraordinary account of how his work has been shaped by living under a totalitarian regime. It's the story of a father and a son, of exceptional creativity and passionate belief, and of how two indomitable spirits enabled the world to understand their country. 'A story of inherited resilience and self-determination' Observer 'A majestic and exquisitely serious masterpiece about his China... One of the great voices of our time' Andrew Solomon 'Intimate, unflinching...an instant classic' Evan Osnos, author of Age of Ambition

"Undoing is just as much a democratic right as doing."---Gordon Matta-Clark This revealing book looks at the groundbreaking work of Gordon Matta-Clark (1943-1978), whose socially conscious practice blurred the boundaries between contemporary art and architecture. After completing a degree in architecture at Cornell University, Matta-Clark returned to his home city of New York. There he employed the term "anarchitecture," combining "anarchy" and "architecture," to describe the site-specific works he initially realized in the South Bronx. The borough's many abandoned buildings, the result of economic decline and middle-class flight, served as Matta-Clark's raw material. His series Cuts dissected these structures, performing an anatomical study of the ravaged urban landscape. Moving from New York to Paris with Conical Intersect, a piece that became emblematic of artistic protest, Matta-Clark applied this same method to a pair of 17th-century row houses slated for demolition as a result of the Centre Pompidou's construction. This compelling volume grounds Matta-Clark's practice against the framework of architectural and urban history, stressing his pioneering activist-inspired approach, as well as his contribution to the nascent fields of social practice and relational aesthetics. Published in association with The Bronx Museum of the Arts Exhibition Schedule: Bronx Museum of the Arts (11/08/17-04/08/18) Jeu de Paume, Paris (06/04/18-09/23/18) Kumu Kunstimuuseum, Tallinn, Estonia (03/01/19-08/04/19) Rose Art Museum, Waltham, MA (09/12/19-12/15/2019)

Drawing on the visual possibilities of electromagnetic energy, radio waves, and natural phenomena, French conceptual artist Laurent Grasso explores their effect on perception via immersive videos, sculptures, paintings, and drawings that employ images or techniques borrowed from cinema or art history. This book explores the artist's manipulations of what we perceive to be time's consistency, showcasing complex artworks that merge a range of interests, including scientific speculations and fictions; natural catastrophes; and representations of power and authority. Vibrant photographs display his unique pieces, while astute observations from some of the world's foremost art critics offer insight into Grasso's approach. This thought-provoking volume arrives before Grasso's new traveling exhibition, first at Sean Kelly Gallery in New York and then at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris for a special project related to an exhibition about Darwin.