An overview exhibition of the Chinese artist and dissident Ai Weiwei will be hosted at the Patrick Derom Gallery in Brussels, from 19 September to 14 November.
The gallery announced this on Thursday in a press release. The overview exhibition brings together a total of fifty works by the Chinese artist and critic.
The exhibition is spread across two locations in Brussels' Sablon district and focuses on both his work from the 1990s and his more recent pieces.
The exhibition features, on the one hand, emblematic works from the 1990s, such as his photo series "Study of Perspective", and, on the other, his contemporary works, including LEGO compositions like 'Illumination' and a piece constructed from knots called "F.U.C.K.".
Also on display are the sculptures "Grapes" and "Strength", as well as the monumental installations "Left Right Studio Material" and "Snake Ceiling".
"Through this diversity of media and formats, the retrospective presents a coherent body of work, imbued with ongoing reflections on power systems, cultural memory, and freedom of expression," states the Brussels art gallery.
In parallel with the exhibition, the Émile Verhaeren Museum will also showcase works by Ai Weiwei, and Hannibal Books will release a comprehensive publication.
"Ai Weiwei has questioned state power and cultural repression throughout his entire life. With provocative performances, installations, and films, the conceptual artist has become a global icon in the fight for freedom of expression," explains Patrick Derom Gallery.
"Once shadowed and detained by the Chinese state, Ai Weiwei knows better than anyone what the price of artistic freedom can be," he concluded.
