Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei will present his first major exhibition in northern England this summer. Factory International announced the 68-year-old dissident artist will lead the spring season at Manchester's Aviva Studios with a show titled "Ai Weiwei: Button Up!" running from July 2 to September 6.
The exhibition explores 200 years of world history, focusing on British imperialism, Chinese-British relations, and the rise of globalisation. Ai Weiwei will present two new commissions: his largest 2D artwork to date using over one million toy bricks, and a piece using hundreds of thousands of buttons. The show will feature new and existing large-scale works using antique timber, porcelain, cotton, glass, and bronze, many appearing in the UK for the first time.
Reflecting on the exhibition, Ai Weiwei said in connection with the announcement: "I'm not interested in making very big things just for the sake of it. But in Manchester, that wonderful Warehouse space calls for monumental work. Visiting the city for this exhibition – the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution – and reflecting on Britain's global territorial expansion made me realise I had to explore that history and understand how it connects to the forces driving today's wars and global crises. The world today is deeply divided, with tragedy all around. Understanding history goes hand in hand with standing up for truth and justice."
Tribute to Sinead O'Connor
The spring season also features "The Surge: An Ode To Sinead O'Connor," a dance production by award-winning choreographer Sonya Tayeh. The 49-year-old described the work as a mediation on voice, protest and the courage to live a life that defies the norm. Ten women will perform the world premiere on June 25, celebrating the late Irish singer who died in 2023.
Tayeh said of the production: "To me, Sinead O'Connor's music is rooted in a sense of a desire for freedom, an unrelenting righteousness and a quest for a spiritual awakening. The depth of emotion in her music is unmatched and vibrates through the dance space with such electric inspiration for me and has for decades now."
Spring season lineup
John McGrath, artistic director and chief executive at Factory International, said: "This season we have a collection of firsts. Factory International is collaborating with pioneering, fearless artists this spring, inviting them to use the flexibility and versatility of our extraordinary home Aviva Studios as their playground, to create work they could not make anywhere else."
The season will also include puppetry and dance show "Return To The Forest," experimental musical performance "Angel's Bone," and the English National Opera's first production in Manchester.
Aviva Studios will host concerts featuring pop star Lily Allen, US singer Halsey, and DJ Fatboy Slim this year.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
