Ai Weiwei's First Beijing Gallery Exhibition Features Reconstructed Ming Dynasty Temple
On June 6, 2015, Ai Weiwei's inaugural solo exhibition in China commenced at Galleria Continua and Tang Contemporary Art Center in Beijing, scheduled to continue until September 6. Initially planned for May 30, the opening was delayed in observance of the Tiananmen Square anniversary on June 4. After refraining from exhibiting in China for over 20 years, Ai showcased a reconstructed late Ming Dynasty structure, the Wang Family Ancestral Hall, relocated from Zhejiang. This installation necessitated the removal of a wall between galleries. Ai personally reviewed all studio-produced pieces, highlighting the interplay between art, life, and politics. Following an 81-day detention in 2011 for tax evasion, his passport was returned on July 22, 2015. The exhibition attracted numerous young visitors, prompting reflections on China's history and future.
Key facts
- Ai Weiwei's first solo gallery exhibition in China opened June 6, 2015, in Beijing
- Exhibition postponed from May 30 due to Tiananmen Square anniversary concerns
- Features reconstructed Ming Dynasty Wang Family Ancestral Hall from Zhejiang province
- Show installed across Galleria Continua and Tang Contemporary Art Center in 798 District
- Ai had declined exhibition invitations in China for over two decades prior
- Ai's passport returned July 22, 2015, after 2011 detention
- Exhibition includes personally inspected studio works like porcelain sunflower seeds
- Ai criticizes art market focus, with one sale exceeding $6 million
Entities
Artists
- Ai Weiwei
- Ai Qing
- Robert Morgan
Institutions
- Galleria Continua
- Tang Contemporary Art Center
- Haus der Kunst
- Hirshhorn Museum
- Brooklyn Museum
- Royal Academy of Arts
- Der Spiegel
- artcritical
Locations
- Beijing
- China
- 798 District
- Beijing East Hotel
- Caochangdi
- Zhejiang
- Jinhwa
- Anhui
- Jianxi
- New York
- United States
- Munich
- Germany
- Washington DC
- Brooklyn
- Melbourne
- Australia
- London
- United Kingdom
- Tate London
- Sichuan
- Tiananmen Square