# Disaster Aftermath Artworks Ai Weiwei's 'Straight' Honors Lives Lost in the Sichuan Earthquake By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2013-06-11 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sichuan-earthquake References: [designboom](http://www.designboom.com/art/ai-weiwei-straightens-150-tons-of-steel-rebar-from-sichuan-quake/) Ai Weiwei collected and straightened 150 tons of rebar from the sichuan earthquake in China. The artist's quest to create this installation was drawn out and not without controversy. Weiwei hoped to collect all of the names of the students who die during the quake, and expose the Chinese government's doctoring of facts, which landed him in prison for 81 days in 2011. After two years, 'Straight' was presented at the 2013 Venice Art Biennale. There is an eerie stilless in Weiwei's installation. The newly straight lengths of rebar are unceremoniously piled up in a room in Venice's Sant'Antonin Church, giving a sombre reminder of the staggering amount of destruction and 5,000 students who lost their lives during the earthquake five years ago. Photo Credits: [designboom](http://www.designboom.com/art/ai-weiwei-straightens-150-tons-of-steel-rebar-from-sichuan-quake/) ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.6/10 - Popularity: 28% | Activity: 12% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/design) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Disaster Aftermath Artworks:** Opportunity to create powerful and thought-provoking artistic installations that highlight the impact of natural disasters. - **Government Transparency:** Disruptive innovation opportunity to develop technologies or platforms that uncover factual information and challenge government narratives. - **Humanitarian Activism:** Emerging trend of using art as a tool for raising awareness and advocating for social justice causes. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Art and Sculpture:** Opportunity for artists and sculptors to explore unconventional materials and create impactful installations. - **Information Technology:** Potential for IT companies to develop innovative solutions for data gathering, analysis, and display to promote transparency and accountability. - **Social Justice and Advocacy:** Growing industry focused on using various mediums, such as art, to raise awareness and drive positive change. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Refugee-Informed Installations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-life-jackets-installation.md) - [Pop Art-Style Blocked Portraits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ai-in-red.md) - [Rattan Sculptural Art Installations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/thai-art-gallery.md) - [Destructive Nature Art Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/keita-miyazaki.md) - [Explosion-Damaged Sculpture Series](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/light-into-darkness.md) - [Future-Facing Sculptural Installations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/eye-of-the-future.md) - [Post-Pandemic Art Installations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lakwena-maciver.md) - [UK-Based Modern Art Installations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/relics-in-the-landscape.md) - [Kilometer-Long Museums](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/zaishui-art-museum.md)