Ai Weiwei: Don Quijote is a comprehensive exhibition showcasing works from the last 20 years of the career of this important artist on the international art scene, who is known for his ability to combine art and political activism. It is also the first exhibition to present in detail his series of paintings made from LEGO bricks. The artist says: “LEGO, like ancient mosaics, textile and carpet patterns or wooden printing with movable type from the Song Dynasty (ca. 1000 AD), embodies a sense of timelessness.” The exhibition will be on display at MUSAC, Halls 3-6, from November 9, 2024 to May 18, 2025.
Image above: AI WEIWEI. The Third of May (2023). Courtesy of the artist
The project will also include a selection of installations and monumental works. If there is one groundbreaking work among them that will be on display, it is La Commedia Umana (2017-2021), a chandelier over eight meters high made of 2,000 pieces of black Murano glass that tells us about the cycle of life and death. It took four years to make. The exhibition intersects Ai Weiwei’s central themes and combines autobiographical aspects with topics such as the refugee crisis, international politics and the impact of artificial intelligence on the future of human development.
Ai Weiwei’s work is diverse and prolific, encompassing sculptural installations, filmmaking, photography, ceramics, painting, writing and social media. As a conceptual artist who combines traditional craftsmanship and his Chinese heritage, Ai Weiwei moves freely between a variety of formal languages to reflect on the geopolitical and sociopolitical situation of the present. Ai Weiwei’s work and life constantly interact and inform each other, often extending to his activism and advocacy for international human rights.
He has exhibited in numerous institutions and biennials worldwide, including the Design Museum, London (2023), the Albertina Modern, Vienna (2022), the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art, Porto (2021), the Brooklyn Museum, New York (2014), the Turbine Hall, Tate Modern, London (2010) and at documenta 12, Kassel (2007).
WHEN?
Exhibition dates: Saturday, November 9, 2024 – Sunday, May 18, 2025
Opening hours: Tuesday – Friday, 11am – 2pm, 5pm – 8pm, Saturday – Sunday, public holiday, 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 9pm
WHERE?
MUSAC
Avenida de los Reyes Leoneses, 24
24008 León
Spain
