Friends Preview - Ai Weiwei
Friday 18 September 2015 10am - 6pm
Main Galleries, Burlington House, Royal Academy of Arts
Free, booking recommended. Friends only.
Friends of the RA book first
Ai Weiwei
Friends of the RA can enjoy exclusive access to 'Ai Weiwei' before it opens to the public.
The Friends Ai Weiwei preview days will be very popular, and to ensure an enjoyable viewing experience we are ticketing this event. As a Friend you can still experience the exhibition for free with a guest but please book your preferred viewing time to ensure entry. Should you arrive without a booking, we will do our best to accommodate you but may need to delay access during busy times. Thank you for your continued support.
Our most recent single artist shows have seen some of the true greats of contemporary art animate our Main Galleries with unforgettable, powerful work. Hockney, Kapoor, Kiefer – you need to be a special artist to embrace the immensity of our historic spaces. Who better then to take up the challenge this autumn than Ai Weiwei, one of China’s most influential artists.
Ai became widely known in Britain after his sunflower seeds installation in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall in 2010 but this will be the first major institutional survey of his work ever held in the UK and it will bridge over two decades of his extraordinary career.
Curated in collaboration with Ai Weiwei from his studio in Beijing, the RA will present some of his most important works from the time he returned to China from the US in 1993 right up to present day. Among new works created specifically for our galleries and courtyard will be a number of large-scale installations, as well as works showcasing everything from marble and steel to tea and glass.
With typical boldness, the chosen works will explore a multitude of challenging themes, drawing on his own experience to comment on creative freedom, censorship and human rights, as well as examining contemporary Chinese art and society.
The newly opened Academicians' Room in the Keeper’s House will also be open for Friends to explore.
Become a Friend of the RA to see all our exhibitions first, as well as a host of other benefits including free entry to our exhibitions for you and a guest, special Friends events and all-day access to Keeper's House.
A Special Afternoon Tea package
Enjoy a delicious afternoon tea in the beautiful surroundings of the Keeper’s House, and exclusive access to the Ai Weiwei exhibition.