Viewing Ai Weiwei: The Liberty of Doubt

Ai Weiwei is one of the world’s greatest living artists. Over the course of his ground-breaking career, he has tackled some of the most urgent issues facing us today, from globalisation and immigration to identity, liberty, truth and surveillance. Never afraid to speak out, he is a leading example of free expression around the world.

This bijou exhibition at Kettle’s Yard features a single installation with 13 artworks by Ai exhibited alongside 14 antiquities which the artist bought at auction in 2020. A selection of Ai’s recent films, including Coronation (2020) and Cockroach (2020), will also be screened on each day of the exhibition’s run.

By displaying works from different periods together, Ai asks us to question the ways in which we attribute meaning and value to objects. In doing so, he prompts us to consider differing concepts of truth and authenticity in China and the Western world. As with most of Ai’s works, this installation will get under your skin.