Ai Weiwei made the porcelain in about 30 "inescapable stages." First he the porcelain from a mine, refining it, grinding it, turning it into slip, casting.
This project would be less successful had he used real sunflower seeds. The idea of that quantity of artificial seeds is mind-boggling alone, but he manufactured over a thousand jobs.
Porcelain is a historic media in China.
The sunflower in China has represented those who supported the communist regime, materially and spiritually. The idea of being able to walk on that which represents your government and its supporters is semi radical.
