It was back in our June Made in China issue that we first got in with Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. As well as visiting his studio, we worked with this prolific creator, best known for his work with Herzog and de Meuron on the Beijing National Stadium or 'Bird's Nest', on our limited edition June cover.
Weiwei’s latest international outing comes in the form of a one man retrospective in Tokyo’s Mori Art Museum. Entitled, According to What?, the exhibition features 26 works produced between 1990 and now.
See some Ai Weiwei's work on show at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo
Moving back to China in 1993 after 12 years in the US, Weiwei’s work finds influence in everything from Dada to Postmodernism and Pop Art (the name of the show is taken from a Jasper Johns painting).
With a strong emphasis on big ideas and careful metaphor the work on show includes a giant cube constructed from compressed Chinese tea, a porcelain bowl filled with fresh water pearls, a three-legged table and a map of China made from wood taken from the dismantled Qing Dynasty temples.
Subtle, ironic and a lot less introspective than much other Chinese art of Weiwei’s generation, According to What? is an elegant expression of Weiwei’s off-kilter take on the world.
ADDRESS
53F Roppongi Hills Mori Tower
6-10-1 Roppongi
Minato-ku
Tokyo
Japan 106-6150
-
Patek Philippe brings 15 new timepieces to Watches and Wonders 2025The Swiss manufacturer showcases its intricate complications and elegant designs at the annual trade show with a suite of new models
-
Watches & Wonders 2025: preview Richemont’s latest innovations, on show at the Geneva watch fairDiscover eight enticing timepieces from the luxury group, showcased this week at the Geneva fair
-
Masters of midcentury modern design and their creations spotlighted in new book‘Mid-Century Modern Designers’ is a new book from Phaidon celebrating those who shaped the period and their notable creations, from furniture to objects
-
Ai Weiwei's major retrospective in Seattle is a timely and provocative exploration of human rights'Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism' of Ai Weiwei is on now at the Seattle Art Museum
-
Deathmatch wrestling’s behind-the-scenes moments and bloody gloryA new limited-edition book explores the intersection between art and deathmatch wrestling at a sold-out show held in Tokyo
-
Ai vs AI: Ai Weiwei asks the big questions nightly in central LondonAi Weiwei and Circa consider the role of the question in Piccadilly Circus, London
-
Heads up: art exhibitions to see in January 2024Start the year right with the Wallpaper* pick of art exhibitions to see in January 2024
-
Olafur Eliasson inaugurates Azabudai Hills Gallery in TokyoOlafur Eliasson marks launch of Azabudai Hills Gallery, in Tokyo’s major new district, with a show of elemental strength
-
Frieze London 2023: what to see and doEverything you want to see at Frieze London 2023 and around the city in our frequently updated guide
-
John Pawson unveils first-ever sculpture in Tokyo exhibitionAt The Mass, Tokyo, British architect John Pawson stages his first solo exhibition in Japan, revealing his first sculpture and a new photography series
-
Ai Weiwei's largest-ever Lego artwork revealed at London’s Design MuseumAt London’s Design Museum, Ai Weiwei has unveiled Water Lilies #1, a new Lego recreation of Claude Monet’s iconic painting. We explore the vast new work ahead of the Chinese artist’s major show at the museum until 30 July
