Running at Tang Contemporary Art until 2 May 2026, the exhibition brings together more than two decades of work from one of the world’s most influential contemporary artists.
Asia’s cultural calendar has received a major addition with the arrival of a new solo exhibition by Ai Weiwei in Singapore. Staged at Tang Contemporary Art from 21 March to 2 May 2026, the show brings together more than 20 years of work from the celebrated Chinese artist and activist, offering visitors the chance to explore the breadth of a practice that has consistently challenged convention.
Recognised as one of the most important figures in contemporary art, Ai Weiwei has built an international reputation through work that moves across sculpture, installation, film and photography. His pieces often examine culture, heritage, history and consumerism, while also confronting urgent social and political realities. Over the years, his art has tackled themes ranging from the global refugee crisis to the aftermath of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, blending sharp commentary with striking visual language.
What makes Ai Weiwei’s work so compelling is its ability to merge traditional craftsmanship with conceptual thinking. He has long transformed familiar materials and everyday objects into thought-provoking statements, using scale, texture and symbolism to question how we see the world around us. This exhibition in Singapore is set to highlight exactly that, presenting works that reflect both the evolution of his practice and the enduring relevance of his ideas.
Among the standout pieces are the Zodiac Heads, which reimagine artefacts from Beijing’s Old Summer Palace of 1860 using toy bricks. The works nod to cultural memory, loss and reconstruction, while also introducing an unexpected playfulness through their choice of material. Another highlight is Wheat Field with Crows, where historical imagery is rendered in a pixelated form and birds are replaced by drones, creating a powerful reflection on surveillance, technology and the way images shape modern perception.
Ai Weiwei’s career has already included landmark exhibitions at institutions such as Tate Modern, the Venice Biennale and Mori Art Museum. His best-known works include Sunflower Seeds, the vast installation of millions of handcrafted porcelain sunflower seeds that filled Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall, as well as the 1995 Study of Perspective series, in which he raised a middle finger towards some of the world’s most recognisable landmarks.
Beyond the gallery, Ai Weiwei has also been widely recognised for his influence and activism. His honours include the Praemium Imperiale in 2022 and Amnesty International’s Ambassador of Conscience Award in 2015. This latest exhibition from Ai Weiwei in Singapore offers a rare opportunity to engage with an artist whose work continues to provoke, question and inspire on a global scale.
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