WASHINGTON, DC.- Sculptures by an outspoken Chinese artist are going on display at Smithsonian museums in Washington. This exhibition will feature prolific Chinese artist Ai Weiwei’s monumental installation, Fragments (2005). Noting the abundance of antique wood on the market, Ai had a number of pieces transported from Guangdong to his studio in Beijing to create a series of objects and installations. Fragments is a culmination of that body of work. Working with a team of skilled carpenters, Ai turned pillars and beams of ironwood (or tieli) salvaged from several dismantled Qing dynasty temples into a large-scale seemingly chaotic work. Yet examined more closely, one discovers that the installation is an elaborate system of masterful joinery and delicate balance relations. Seen from above, the entire complex is anchored by poles marking out the borders of a map of China. Using traditional materials and craftsmanship, Ai effectively transforms fragments from works that