11 March 2022

Albertina Modern Instagram take-over by Ai Weiwei on 11 March on occasion of the retrospective 'Ai Weiwei. In Search of Humanity' from 16 March – 4 September 2022 in Vienna

Chinese conceptual artist Ai Weiwei's take-over of instagram.com/albertinamuseum/ started today with a picture slideshow of the artist in the 1980s in New York City, continued by the video 'Colored Vases' adressing new views on culture and traditions. The take-over on 11 March happened on occasion of the retrospective about Ai Weiwei's activist-art with focus on the freedom of speech which will be exhibited from 16 March until 4 September under the title 'Ai Weiwei. In Search of Humanity'.

Ai Weiwei's campaign #RunForOurRights is part of the exhibition and the upcoming flash mob on 13 May in front of the Albertina Modern in Vienna. The campaign was started in mid-December 2021 by Ai Weiwei after the UK agreed to extradite Julian Assange to the US. The campaign was initiated with a video on Instagram (embedded below) showing the artist on a treadmill once received as a gift from Julian Assange from his time at the Embassy of Ecuador in London. The video was posted with the call to join the campaign for human rights and the freedom of press by uploading videos with the hashtag #RunForOurRights.

Image: Ai Weiwei, Illumination, 2019; LEGO bricks. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Courtesy of the artist and Lisson Gallery © 2022 Ai Weiwei.