Ai Weiwei debuts silk textile with Rubelli at Milan Design Week 2026
Milan Design Week 2026 sees artist Ai Weiwei debut a striking installation titled 'About Silk' in collaboration with luxury textile brand Rubelli. Located on Via Fatebenefratelli, this marks Weiwei's inaugural foray into silk artistry. A highlight includes an intricate sofa draped in silk lampas, featuring a striking blend of 9,600 red and gold threads, inspired by his previous design reminiscent of an alpaca. The fabric incorporates motifs addressing themes of censorship and human rights. Additionally, the installation displays textiles with the 'Finger' design alongside historical materials from Rubelli. A documentary by Felipe Sanguinetti chronicles the project's evolution and Weiwei’s artistic insights.
Key facts
- Ai Weiwei collaborated with Rubelli for Milan Design Week 2026.
- The installation is titled 'About Silk' and is Ai Weiwei's first work with silk.
- The fabric uses 9,600 silk threads in deep red and golden yellow.
- The design includes symbols of surveillance cameras, handcuffs, chains, llamas, and the Twitter bird.
- A sculptural sofa upholstered in the silk lampas is the centerpiece.
- A second room features 'Finger' motif fabric and textile documents from Rubelli's archive.
- A documentary film by Felipe Sanguinetti documents the project.
- Ai Weiwei critiques AI and algorithms for erasing human nature and craftsmanship.
Entities
Artists
- Ai Weiwei
- Paola Navone
- Luke Edward Hall
- Peter Marino
- Felipe Sanguinetti
- Formafantasma
Institutions
- Rubelli
- Rubelli Historical Archive
- Rubelli Foundation
- Downing College, Cambridge
- Venice Biennale
- MAXXI L'Aquila
- Formafantasma
Locations
- Milan
- Italy
- Venice
- Como
- Cambridge
- United Kingdom
- Beijing
- China
- Via Fatebenefratelli
- L'Aquila