Running till 22 January 2017, Palazzo Strozzi in Florence presents Italy’s first major retrospective dedicated to one of the world’s most celebrated and influential contemporary artists, Ai Weiwei. This outstanding retrospective showcasing both old and new works has received broad coverage and rave reviews in all the leading Italian and international media.
This major exhibition includes key monumental installations, sculptures and objects, as well as videos and photography series produced throughout his career. These range from his years living in New York 1980s and ’90s when he discovered his ‘masters’ Andy Warhol and Marcel Duchamp, to the large iconic assemblages works from the early 2000s consisting of objects such as bicycles and stools, to his recent controversial and engaged works such as portraits of political dissidents built with LEGO bricks, and his projects on migration in the Mediterranean region.
Ai Weiwei is the first artist to exhibit across the entirety of the Palazzo Strozzi spaces, presenting a series of new and major works from the façade of the building and the courtyard to the piano nobile and the Strozzina gallery, mirroring the artist’s relationship between tradition and modernity, key works will be hung in response to the architecture of the Palazzo Strozzi, a 15th century palace built as a political statement, and is considered to embody the history of the city of Florence.
A dissident artist with a leading voice, Ai Weiwei has become a leading voice on the international art scene and China’s most famous living artist. Known for his political activism and meticulous artistic research, Ai Weiwei has also become a symbol of resistance against censorship. The show offers the opportunity to explore Ai Weiwei’s creative genius but also to understand his personal narrative, offering critical insight to Ai Weiwei’s ambiguous relations with his native China. Ai Weiwei denounces the inconsistencies and gaps between the individual and the community in today’s world and has a profound sense of belonging, as illustrated by his use of traditional materials and techniques. Equally, a strong sense of rebellion informs his interpretations of traditional Chinese images and metaphors.
Discover our Ai Weiwei Story – everything you need to know about the artist
With the collaboration of
Galleria Continua, San Gimignano/Beijing/Les Moulins/Habana
With the support of
Comune di Firenze
Camera di Commercio di Firenze
Associazione Partners Palazzo Strozzi
Regione Toscana
Main Sponsor
Banca CR Firenze / Intesa Sanpaolo
