The exhibition's title translates as "Uncooperative attitude" in Chinese, but the blunter English language sentiment was deemed preferable.
The exhibition was held in an Eastlink Gallery warehouse by Feng Boyi and the 43-year-old Ai Weiwei, and is revered by many young Chinese artists.
[2] Ai encapsulated Fuck Off's artistic-curatorial attitude with one set of photos in which he gives the finger in turn to the White House, the Forbidden City, and the viewer, and another in which he drops an ancient Han dynasty Chinese vase, which smashes at his feet.
Among them was He Yunchang, who posed in a color photograph bare-chested while suspended from a crane by his ankles over a rushing river, into which he holds a knife—the same knife he later used to cut his own arm.
The piece's cannibalistic theme was controversial in Britain when Zhu's work was featured on a Channel 4 documentary exploring Chinese modern art in 2003.
[7] In an interview by Chin-Chin Yap, Ai Weiwei was asked if the actual exhibit of Fuck Off had a concept similar to the Black, White, and Gray Cover Books he published.
"[8] Many influential artists in the contemporary Chinese art scene took part, many of whom have since been included in international exhibitions, catalogs, and television documentaries.
A cultural attitude that stands against the power and makes no compromise with vulgarization is, together with independent individual experiences, feelings and creations, is what extends the pursuit and desire of art for spiritual freedom – an everlasting theme.
Allegory, directing questioning, resistance, alienation, dissolution, endurance, boredom, bias, absurdity, cynicism and self-entertainment are aspects of culture as well as features of existence.
Such issues are re-presented here by the artists with unprecedented frankness and intelligence, which leaves behind fresh and stimulating information and traces of existence.
"[9] Accidental Dropping[9] Ai Weiwei was concerned with Chinese history as a whole and the fact that people were not properly learning about it or preserving it.
By dropping a near-priceless artifact, Ai was essentially asking if the Chinese people really care about their own history, taking something valuable and reducing it to shards.
Mouse[9] Jin Le experiments with a wide variety of materials in order to demonstrate what he thinks that people and animals would look like if scientists succeeded in combining them into one form.
Ai Wei Wei, Cao Fei, Chen Lingyang, Chen Shaoxiong, Chen Yunquan, Ding Yi, Feng Weidong, Gu Dexin, He An, He Yunchang, Huang Lei, Huang Yan, Jin Lei, Li Wen, Li Zhiwang, Liang Yue, Lin Yilin, Lu Chunsheng, Lu Qing, Meng Huang, Peng Yu, Peng Donghui, Qin Ga, Rong Rong, Song Dong, Sun Yuan, Wang Bing, Wang Yin, Wang Chuyu, Wang Xingwei, Wu Ershan, Xiao Yu, Xu Tan, Xu Zhen, Yang Yong, Yang Fudong, Yang Maoyuan, Yang Zhenzhong, Yang Zhichao, Zhang Dali, Zhang Shengquan, Zheng Guogu, Zhu Ming, and Zhu Yu.
Chen Hao, Zheng Jishun, and Song Tao exhibited a video documenting their walk through the city while blood leaked from plastic tubes inserted into their veins.