Ai Weiwei: Ai, Rebel @ Seattle Art Museum

When asked on March 7th at Seattle Art Museum, “Why Seattle?” for the location of the massive retrospective of Ai Weiwei’s work, the 67-year-old artist, activist, and global icon had a simple answer.

“Why not?”

Not to downplay it, but this exhibition is kind of a historic moment for Seattle. Through September 7th at Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei, you’ll be able to dive into over 130 works Weiwei has created over four decades, from 1980 to 2020 at SAM. Organized by SAM’s curator of Chinese art, Foong Ping, the exhibition gathers artwork sprawling across space and mediums. Photography, mind-bending sculpture, performance, and more will be on display in Ai’s largest US exhibition ever.

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If that wasn’t enough, this is the first time in its 90-year history that SAM is displaying an artist’s work across all three of their locations at the same time. So you’ll be able to explore Ai Weiwei’s works all over the city at Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Asian Art Museum, and Olympic Sculpture Park.

👀 Facts at a glance:
🐲 Each bronze statue set to be displayed at Olympic Sculpture Park weighs over 1,500 pounds.
😳 Ai Weiwei’s “Water Lilies” is made from 650,000 LEGO bricks.
🪑 The stool sculptures in Ai Rebel were joined together without using a single nail.

Get more info on the three exhibitions and timed ticketing here.

And in a special feature on The Seattle Times, Gayle Clemens explores the significance of the exhibition, the artist, and whether a tomato tastes like a tomato.

With three dynamic locations, Seattle Art Museum has been the center for visual arts in the Pacific Northwest since 1933.

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