Ai Weiwei is one of China s most famous artists, and many regard him as one of the world's greatest living ones of his profession. Working with the Swiss architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron, he helped design the Bird's Nest Stadium, the centerpiece of Beijing s 2008 Summer Olympics.
The stadium in northern Beijing, instantly recognizable for its weave of curving steel beams, will also host the opening ceremony for Beijing's Winter Olympics on Feb. 4.
