Ai Weiwei's 'In Search of Humanity' Retrospective at Albertina Modern Vienna

The Albertina Modern in Vienna is hosting a major retrospective of Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, titled 'In Search of Humanity,' curated by Dieter Buchhart, Elsy Lahner, and others. The exhibition features over 140 works spanning Ai's career, including installations, sculptures, photographs, and LEGO brick pieces. Highlights include 'Assange's Treadmill' (2017), the actual treadmill used by Julian Assange during his asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy; 'Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn' (1995); 'Illumination' (2019), a LEGO reconstruction of his 2011 arrest; and 'S.A.C.R.E.D.' (2013), a six-diorama installation depicting his 81-day detention. The show also includes a provocative installation with the word 'Fuck' in neon, critiquing political institutions and perspective as a symbolic form. Ai Weiwei, born in Beijing in 1957, is a visual artist and human rights activist who has been exiled from China. He was arrested in 2011 without formal charges and detained for 81 days before international pressure secured his release. The exhibition runs until September 4, 2022.