Forever (Bicycles) 2003

Ai Weiwei created Forever (Bicycles) out of stainless steel bicycles, a common mode of transport in China, where Ai was born and raised. The bicycle has complex connotations in China; the artist reflects that “The bicycle has a lot of association with the history. It’s a very disappearing image today...but people still have feelings for it." This work resonates with notions of collective experience and memory. China was once known as the "Kingdom of Bicycles." Beyond the nostalgia it evokes, the sculpture references mass production. It alludes to the standardization of products, the labor involved, and the environmental implications of mass production and consumption. But more than that, the sculpture invites viewers to reflect on their own journeys—personal, collective, and historical. The bicycle evokes a sense of individual freedom, access, and the expansion of horizons. This sculpture connects the personal with the political.