What caused the Wenchuan earthquake?

What caused the Wenchuan earthquake?

The quake was caused by the collision of the Indian-Australian and Eurasian plates along the 155-mile- (249-km-) long Longmenshan Fault, a thrust fault in which the stresses produced by the northward-moving Indian-Australian plate shifted a portion of the Plateau of Tibet eastward.

What devastating event is Ai Weiwei making a reference to with his above artwork?

On May 12, 2008, a massive earthquake in China’s Sichuan province killed approximately 90,000 people. Ai Weiwei created this serpentine sculpture, made of backpacks, to commemorate the more than 5,000 school children who were killed when their shoddily constructed schools collapsed.

Why did Ai Weiwei create remembering?

The building was originally made to follow the standards of Nazi’s ideals and serve as a way of publicity. Ai Weiwei, “Remembering.” However, Weiwei’s purpose of this piece was to create awareness of the government lack of interest and silence towards the lives lost during the earthquake in China in 2008.

When was remembering Ai Weiwei made?

2009
He became famous worldwide in 2009 thanks to his highly celebrated art project, Remembering, an art piece he created to honor over 80,000 Chinese, most of whom were school children who perished in the May 2008 Sichuan earthquake.

Why did Ai Weiwei get in trouble with the Chinese government?

He investigated government corruption and cover-ups, in particular the Sichuan schools corruption scandal following the collapse of “tofu-dreg schools” in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. In 2011, Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport on 3 April, for “economic crimes”.

How does Ai Weiwei make his art?

Ai’s impact on the West is arguably greater than it is in China, where he remains a controversial figure. In the U.S. and Europe he is almost universally revered, both as an artist and political activist, and has led the way to a more nuanced awareness of Chinese contemporary culture in the international community.

What was the Wenchuan earthquake?

The Wenchuan Earthquake was a colossal event that changed the lives of so many people in China’s Sichuan Province. These are my thoughts and recollections of the event on that day and the weeks that followed.

How many people died in the Sichuan earthquake?

The magnitude (M) 8.01 earthquake that struck Sichuan Province on May 12, 2008 was the strongest earthquake to occur in China in over 50 years, and caused the largest loss of life since the Tangshan earthquake killed 242,000 people in 19762.

What was the largest earthquake to hit China?

The magnitude 8.0 Wenchuan Earthquake of May 12, 2008 had the largest impact of any earthquake to strike China since the catastrophic 1976 Tangshan Earthquake.

How many aftershocks were there in the Great Chinese earthquake 2008?

Prior to 2008 there had not been a serious earthquake in the province since the 1930’s. By November 2008, there had been more than 40,000 reported aftershocks. John Smither writes under the pen name of Chinasaint, telling all who are interested his tales about living life as a foreigner in China.