Ai Weiwei: Under Construction

2008

Visual Arts

Artist/s: Ai Wei Wei

Ai Weiwei: Under Construction was presented at Campbelltown Arts Centre from 3 May to 29 June 2008 as the first international survey of Ai Weiwei’s practice. Curated by Dr Charles Merewether, the exhibition brought together more than 45 works spanning sculpture, video and installation from 1985 to 2008, sourced from public and private collections in Europe, America and China, alongside loans from the artist. The Campbelltown iteration included the new commission Marble Chair, carved from a single block of marble in the style of a Song Dynasty chair, and presented Ai’s work in relation to history, cultural memory, exile, reinvention and the politics of cultural value.

Presented in partnership with Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation, the project positioned Campbelltown Arts Centre as a key site for major international contemporary art in Western Sydney. The exhibition reflected CAC’s early commitment to ambitious, intercultural and socially engaged practice, connecting Ai’s exploration of migration, identity and historical erasure with Campbelltown’s layered Indigenous and migrant histories. Both venues also presented Fairytale, Ai’s documentary work following 1,001 Chinese citizens who travelled to Documenta XII in Kassel, extending the exhibition’s focus on community, participation and the human dimensions of conceptual art.