According to What? by Ai Weiwei, Tokyo

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
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
53F Roppongi Hills Mori Tower
6-10-1 Roppongi
Minato-ku
Tokyo
Japan 106-6150
-
Michael Rider’s joyful Celine debut: ‘I’ve always loved the idea of clothing that lives on’
Presented today in Celine’s Paris HQ, the designer’s astute debut balanced the house’s recent legacy with a fresh, contemporary vision which nodded to his American roots
-
The Richard Mille x Brough Superior RMB01 is a motorcycle with an exceptional aesthetic pedigree
The RMB01 is what happens when horological obsession meets two-wheeled excellence: a Franco-Swiss racing motorcycle that brings out the best in both brands
-
Six modern bathroom ideas for spaces big and small
Here are our best bathroom designs for 2026: colours, curves and a calming ambience are making a splash this season, with tactile and textured surfaces to elevate your shower room
-
Ai Weiwei’s new public installation is coming soon to Four Freedoms State Park
‘Camouflage’ by Ai Weiwei will launch the inaugural Art X Freedom project in September 2025, a new programme to investigate social justice and freedom
-
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 glory
A 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 London
Ai Weiwei and Circa consider the role of the question in Piccadilly Circus, London
-
Heads up: art exhibitions to see in January 2024
Start the year right with the Wallpaper* pick of art exhibitions to see in January 2024
-
Olafur Eliasson inaugurates Azabudai Hills Gallery in Tokyo
Olafur 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 do
Everything 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 exhibition
At The Mass, Tokyo, British architect John Pawson stages his first solo exhibition in Japan, revealing his first sculpture and a new photography series