Ai Weiwei's First Bologna Solo Show Opens at Palazzo Fava

Palazzo Fava in Bologna hosts Ai Weiwei's first solo exhibition in the city, curated by Arturo Galansino. Titled 'Ai Weiwei. Who am I?', the show launches a four-year project to enhance Bologna's cultural heritage. Promoted by Fondazione Carisbo and organized by Opera Laboratori with Galleria Continua, it features over fifty works spanning diverse media. The exhibition juxtaposes ancient and contemporary, with kite sculptures inspired by a 3rd-century BCE Chinese bestiary made of bamboo, rice paper, and silk. Works like 'Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn' critique China's erasure of history, while 'Han Dynasty Urn with Coca Cola' comments on East-West cultural commodification. 'Odyssey', a wallpaper inspired by Greek and Egyptian art, addresses Mediterranean migration. LEGO reworkings of Renaissance paintings by Guido Reni, Raphael, and Leonardo da Vinci add provocation. Ai Weiwei's collecting practice is framed as political, with pieces like 'Left Right Studio Material' referencing rubble from contemporary China. The exhibition runs at Palazzo Fava, with the project starting in 2016 rooted in the artist's and his father's exile experiences.