Artist and activist Ai Weiwei is joining the fundraising efforts for pandemic-related relief, by selling 10,000 charity facemasks.
The limited-edition protective masks, which depict some of his most famous works of art, are being sold to raise money for a number of human rights charities.
They feature silk-screened images designed by the artist, including a rendering of his sunflower seeds installation, which filled Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall ten years ago, his middle finger and feishu, a Chinese mythological creature.
They can be bought from eBay as individuals or in sets of four or 20, with proceeds going to Human Rights Watch, Refugees International and Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders.
The artist said in a statement: “The Covid-19 pandemic is a humanitarian crisis. It challenges our understanding of the 21st century and warns of dangers ahead. It requires each individual to act, both alone and collectively.”
Alexandra Munroe, senior curator of Asian art at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, curated the project and said: “To have one is an ethical and creative act to overcome our tired isolation and participate in a collective enterprise of real compassion.”
The masks can be bought here, for $50 (£40) for one, $300 for four or $1,500 for 20.
