Ai Weiwei Named WSJ.'s Innovator of the Year, Marina Abramovic to Accept the Award

Another big batch of recognition is set to be placed upon artist Ai Weiwei this week. Following Art Review‘s listing of the artist as their top pick in their Power 100 ranking, the artist, who earlier this year served a three-month detainment at the hands of Chinese government officials for whom Weiwei continues to be a thorn in the side of, will be named on Thursday WSJ‘s Innovator of the Year in the art category. It’s the first year of the Innovator’s issue for the Wall Street Journal‘s magazine counterpart, with a dinner honoring the winners this Thursday evening at the MoMA, with the issue in print following this Saturday. However, despite Weiwei’s recent ever-presence, he’s still under house arrest in his native China, so it’s been planned that fellow artist Marina Abramovic will accept the honor on his behalf. At the event, the artist will join the ranks of designer Katie Grand, winning for the fashion category, Bjarke Ingels for architecture, and Chipotle founder Steve Ells for food.