"Weiwei describes the exhibition as a 'very powerful, very precise and very clear' experience, emphasizing the complexity of installing works within a heritage structure."
"Institutions like MAXXI L'Aquila operate 'on the front line' of cultural memory, preserving evidence of trauma and renewal for future generations."
"Aftershock showcases nearly seventy works that foreground systems of power, corruption, and collective trauma, rather than focusing solely on formal experimentation."
"The exhibition traces five decades of Weiwei's work, from his early years in New York to recent sculptures produced in Ukraine, highlighting his ongoing engagement with sites of destruction."
Ai Weiwei's exhibition, Aftershock, at MAXXI L'Aquila, runs from April 29 to September 6, 2026, and reflects on the city's recovery from the 2009 earthquake. The exhibition features nearly seventy works, including installations, films, and reinterpretations of classic art. Central to the show is Straight, made from reassembled steel rebar from the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. Weiwei emphasizes the importance of cultural institutions in preserving memory and highlights the complexity of presenting art within a heritage structure, resulting in a powerful spatial experience.
Read at designboom | architecture & design magazine
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]