Ai Weiwei
“Martin Luther is an important figure in German history, especially with his contributions towards language. He’s very impressive to me. An individual’s free expression is so important to our human development.” | Ai Weiwei, 2017
The Lutherhaus Eisenach has had the renowned Chinese artist Ai Weiwei’s (*1957) sculpture man in a cube on display in the museum courtyard since October 2020.
Ai Weiwei created the sculpture as an explicit tribute to the reformer to mark the 2017 quincentenary of the Reformation for the exhibition Luther and the Avant-Garde in Wittenberg. Supported by numerous backers, the Stiftung Lutherhaus Eisenach was able to acquire this unique manifestation of contemporary Reformation commemoration in 2019 to make it permanently accessible to the public. It was erected in the courtyard of the Lutherhaus the following year, the five hundredth anniversary of the publication of Martin Luther’s treatise On the Freedom of a Christian, where it can now be seen as part of the permanent exhibition. This makes Lutherhaus Eisenach one of the few exclusive venues in Germany where a work by Ai Weiwei is on permanent display.
Video of the arrival and erection of man in a cube at the Lutherhaus Eisenach:
Ai Weiwei talks about man in a cube und Martin Luther:
The generous support of the following institutions made the acquisition of the sculpture possible:
