Ai Weiwei

A global citizen, artist and thinker, Ai Weiwei moves between modes of production and investigation, subject to the direction and outcome of his research, whether into the Chinese earthquake of 2008 (for works such as Straight, 2008-12 and Remembering, 2009) or the worldwide plight of refugees and forced migrants (for Law of the Journey and his feature-length documentary, Human Flow, both 2017). From early iconoclastic positions in regards to authority and history, which included Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn and a series of middle-finger salutes to sites of power, Study of Perspective (both 1995), Ai’s production expanded to encompass architecture, public art and performance. Beyond concerns of form or protest, Ai now measures our existence in relation to economic, political, natural and social forces, uniting craftsmanship with conceptual creativity. Universal symbols of humanity and community, such as bicycles, flowers and trees, as well as the perennial problems of borders and conflicts are given renewed potency though installations, sculptures, films and photographs, while Ai continues to speak out publicly on issues he believes important. He is one of the leading cultural figures of his generation and serves as an example for free expression both in China and internationally.

Ai Weiwei was born in 1957 in Beijing and now lives and works in Portugal. He attended Beijing Film Academy and later, on moving to New York (1983–1993), continued his studies at the Parsons School of Design. Major solo exhibitions include Kunsthal Rotterdam, Netherlands (2023); The Design Museum, London, UK (2023); Albertina Modern, Vienna, Austria (2022); Kettle's Yard, Cambridge, UK (2022); Serralves Museum, Porto, Portugal (2021); Cordoaria Nacional, Lisbon, Portugal (2021); Imperial War Museum, London, UK (2020); K20/K21, Düsseldorf, Germany (2019); OCA, São Paulo, Brazil (2018); Corpartes, Santiago, Chile (2018); Mucem, Marseille, France (2018); PROA, Buenos Aires, Argentina (2017); Sakip Sabanci, Museum, Istanbul, Turkey (2017); Public Art Fund, New York, NY, USA (2017); Israel Museum, Jerusalem (2017); Palazzo Strozzi, Florence, Italy (2016); 21er Haus, Vienna, Austria (2016); Helsinki Art Museum, Finland (2016); Royal Academy, London, UK (2015); Martin Gropius Bau, Berlin, Germany (2014); Indianapolis Museum of Art, IN, USA (2013); Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington D.C., USA (2012); Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taiwan (2011); Tate Modern, London, UK (2010) and Haus der Kunst, Munich, Germany (2009). Architectural collaborations include the 2012 Serpentine Pavilion and the 2008 Beijing Olympic Stadium, with Herzog and de Meuron. Among numerous awards and honours, he won the lifetime achievement award from the Chinese Contemporary Art Awards in 2008 and was made Honorary Academician at the Royal Academy of Arts, London in 2011. His human rights work has been recognised through the Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent in 2012 and Amnesty International’s Ambassador of Conscience Award in 2015.

Recent, current and forthcoming projects

‘In Search of Hummanity’, Kunsthal Rotterdam, Netherlands (20 Sept 2023 - 3 March 2024)

'Ai Weiwei - Water Lilies #1', Ordrupgaard Museum, Denmark (31 May 2024 – 19 January 2025)

Ai Weiwei: Don Quixote, Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Castilla y Leon (MUSAC), León, Spain (9 November 2024 - 18 May 2025)

Ai Weiwei
Black Chandelier

2017-2021
Glass, metal parts
240 x 185 x 185 cm
94 1/2 x 72 7/8 x 72 7/8 in
Edition of 4 + 1AP + 1PP

Ai Weiwei
Fly

2019
Cast iron, 173 x 396 x 288 cm / 68 x 155 7/8 x 113 3/8 in. Courtesy of Ai Weiwei Studio, Lisson Gallery and neugerremschneider

Ai Weiwei
Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen Cut in Nine Pieces

2018-19
Soap, 33 x 100 x 33 cm each / 12 7/8 x 39 1/4 x 12 7/8 in each, Parts 1-9. Courtesy of Ai Weiwei Studio, Cahiers d'Art. Copyright Gaetane Girard.

Ai Weiwei
The Navigation Route of the Sea Watch 3 Migrant Rescue Vessel, June 2019

2019
Lego bricks, 308 x 308 x 3.1 cm /121 1/4 x 121 1/4 x 1 1/8 in

Ai Weiwei
Illumination

2019
Lego bricks, 308 x 385 x 3.1 cm 121 1/4 x 151 1/2 x 1 1/8 in

Ai Weiwei
The Cover Page of The Mueller Report, Submitted to Attorney General William Barr by Robert Mueller on March 22, 2019

2019
Lego bricks, 462 x 346.5 x 3.1 cm / 181 7/8 x 136 3/8 x 1 1/8 in

Ai Weiwei
Study of Perspective in Glass

2018
Glass 12.1 x 9.8 x 10.5 cm 4 3/4 x 3 3/4 x 4 1/8 in ed. 1 of 100

Ai Weiwei
Level

2019
Cast iron, 198 x 434 x 237 cm / 77 7/8 x 170 3/4 x 93 1/4 in. Courtesy Ai Weiwei Studio, Lisson Gallery and neugerremschneider.

Ai Weiwei
Iron Root

2018
Cast iron 46 x 42 x 70 cm 18 1/8 x 16 1/2 x 27 1/2 in

Ai Weiwei
Iron Root

2018
Cast iron 14 x 11 x 37 cm 5 1/2 x 4 3/8 x 14 5/8 in

Ai Weiwei
Iron Root

2018
Cast iron 30 x 24 x 20 cm 11 3/4 x 9 1/2 x 7 7/8 in

Ai Weiwei
Porcelain Vase (Demonstrations)

2017
Porcelain, 52 x 50.5 x 50.5 cm / 20 3/8 x 19 7/8 x 19 7/8 in

Ai Weiwei
Porcelain Pillar with Refugee Motif

2017
6 stacked porcelain vases, 52 x 50.5 x 27 cm (each vase)/ 20 1/2 x 19 7/8 x 10 5/8 in

Ai Weiwei
Blue-and-White Porcelain Plate (Journey)

2017
Porcelain, 8.5 x 52 x 52 cm / 3 1/4 x 20 3/8 x 20 3/8 in

Ai Weiwei
Law of the Journey

2017
Inflatable rubber boat with 258 oversize refugee figures, 6000 x 600 x 300 cm / 2362 1/4 x 236 1/4 x 118 1/8 in. Courtesy of the National Gallery, Prague

Ai Weiwei
Odyssey

2016
Wallpaper Dimensions variable

Ai Weiwei
Broken Wings In Dreams of Flying

2015
Bamboo and silk, 305 x 350 x 105 cm /120 x 137 3/4 x 41 1/4 in

Ai Weiwei
Wave

2015
Porcelain, 18 x 48 x 37 cm / 7 x 18 7/8 x 14 1/2 in

Ai Weiwei
Feet, 2010, and Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn

2015
Installation view, 'Ai Weiwei: Bare Life', Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, St. Louis, MO, USA. Courtesy Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum

Ai Weiwei
All Fingers Must Point Down

2015
Bamboo and silk, 300 x 711 x 210 cm /118 x 279 7/8 x 82 5/8 in

Ai Weiwei
Fondation

2015
Oak Wood and Stone 47 x 827.5 x 622.5 cm / 18 1/2 x 326 x 245 in.

Ai Weiwei
Bicycle Chandelier

2015
Bicycles and glass crystal 500 x 430 x 430 cm / 197 x 169 x 169 in.

Ai Weiwei
Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn

2015
LEGO bricks, Each panel: 230 x 192 x 3 cm / 90 1/2 x 75 1/2 x 1 1/8 in

Ai Weiwei
Tiger, Tiger, Tiger

2015
Porcelain 1000 x 500 cm 393 3/4 x 196 7/8 in

Ai Weiwei
Tiger, Tiger, Tiger

2015
Porcelain 1000 x 500 cm 393 3/4 x 196 7/8 in

Ai Weiwei
Surveillance Camera with Marble Stand

2015
117.5 x 52 x 52 cm / 46 x 20 1/2 x 20 1/2 in.

Ai Weiwei
Pusher, Cao

2014
Installation view Royal Academy, 2015 Dimensions variable

Ai Weiwei
Plate with Flowers

2014
Porcelain 46 x 46 x 6.5 cm / 18 x 18 x 2 1/2 in.

Ai Weiwei
Shelter

2014
Marble, 72 x 95 x 72 cm / 28 3/8 x 37 3/8 x 28 3/8 in

Ai Weiwei
Study of Perspective, 1995-2011

2014
Series of 40 b/w and colour c-prints / diasec Dimensions variable

Ai Weiwei
Forever

2014
1254 Bicycles Dimensions variable

Ai Weiwei
Crystal Cube

2014
Crystal, 100 x 100 x 100cm 39 3/8 x 39 3/8 x 39 3/8 in

Ai Weiwei
Lantern

2014
Marble 58 x 51 cm / 23 x 20 in.

Ai Weiwei
Han Dynasty Vases in Auto Paint

2013
Han Dynasty vases (202 BC-202 AC) and paint 43 x 39 x 39 cm / 17 x 15 x 15 in. 46 x 42 x 42 cm / 18 x 16 1/2 x 16 1/2 in.

Ai Weiwei
Forever

2013
Stainless steel bicycles in gilding 3 pairs 8 layers 282 x 317 x 207 cm / 111 x 125 x 81 1/2 in.

Ai Weiwei
Iron Tree

2013
Installed dims: 710 x 710 x 628 cm / 279 1/2 x 279 1/2 x 247 in.

Ai Weiwei
Souvenir from Shanghai

2012
Concrete and brick rubble from Ai Weiwei's destroyed Shanghai studio, set in a wooden frame
260 x 380 x 170 cm
102 3/8 x 149 5/8 x 66 7/8 in

Ai Weiwei
S.A.C.R.E.D.

2011-2013
Six-part work composed of (i) S upper, (ii) A ccusers, (iii) C leansing, (iv) R itual, (v) E ntropy, (vi) D oubt. Six dioramas in fiberglass and iron Each: 377 x 197 x 148.4 cm / 148 1/2 x 77 1/2 x 58 1/2 in.

Ai Weiwei
S.A.C.R.E.D.

Ai Weiwei
Marble Rebar

2012
81 x 50 x 21 cm / 32 x 20 x 8 in.

Ai Weiwei
F Size

2012
Huali wood Diameter: 130cm / 51.2 in.

Ai Weiwei
Souvenir from Shanghai

2012
Installation view, 'Ai Weiwei: Bare Life', Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, St. Louis, MO, USA. Courtesy Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum

Ai Weiwei
Straight

2008-2012

Steel rebar

Dimensions variable

Ai Weiwei
Straight

2008-2012

Steel rebar

Dimensions variable

Ai Weiwei
Straight

2008-2012

Steel rebar

Dimensions variable

Ai Weiwei
Sofa in Black

2011
Marble 85 x 92 x 92 cm / 33 1/2 x 36 x 36 in.

Ai Weiwei
Trees

2010
Tree sections Dimensions variable Installation at Royal Academy, 2015

Ai Weiwei
Divina Proportione

2010
Huali Wood Diameter: 169 cm / 66 1/2 in.

Ai Weiwei
Untitled

2010
Huali wood Diameter: 70 cm / 27 1/2 in. each

Ai Weiwei
Colored Vases

2010
31 Han Dynasty vases and industrial paint Dimensions variable

Ai Weiwei
Circle of Animals / Zodiac Heads

2010
12 Bronze cast animal heads Dimensions variable

Ai Weiwei
Sunflower Seeds

2010
100 million hand painted ceramic seeds, Dimensions variable. © Ai Weiwei Studio; Courtesy of Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen. Photography by Achim Kukulies.