Just opened at Lisson Gallery is its third solo exhibition of works by Ai Weiwei. Featuring a “monumental new installation of bicycles” alongside a number of “hand-carved, domestic-scale copies” of highly personal objects, the show offers some of the best contemporary art I’ve seen in quite awhile and was a real inspiration for me to view during last week’s private view.
Admittedly, I’m a fan of the dissident Chinese conceptual artist. But I reckon just about anybody would get a kick out of Ai’s bike installation. It’s great fun to view and to contemplate. The rest of the works are more contextual and referential … but still resonate with the intensity the artist is known for and reward gallery goers who are willing to read up on this artist’s situation.
For example, there’s the marble recreation of an armchair. Upon immediately seeing, it seems a most playful (if excessive) study of medium. But when realised it’s a copy of the artist’s father’s favourite chair, the piece seems more to be a poignant and understated memorial.
Other items in the exhibition exist on similar on similarly duel levels of meaning and yield a fascinating peek into Ai’s life as it was before and currently is in Beijing, where he is forced to live in confinement. All of it suggests an artist creating with a half smirk, half sneer on his face and a profound sense of humour and introspection.
Lisson Gallery location at 27-29 and 52 Bell Street, NW1 5DA. The exhibition is at the 27-29 Bell Street space and runs until 19 July. Admission is free. Find out more at lissongallery.com.
