Getty ImagesChinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei said he was planning a “monumental” work in Manchester for his first major show in the north of England.
The 68-year-old, best known for working on the design of Beijing’s Olympic stadium and filling the Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall in London with hand-crafted porcelain sunflower seeds in 2010, will lead Aviva Studios’ spring/summer exhibitions.
Factory International said the world-renowned artist’s exhibition would focus on British imperialism, Chinese-British relations and the rise of globalisation.
“I’m not interested in making very big things just for the sake of it,” said Ai. “But in Manchester, that wonderful Warehouse space calls for monumental work.”
Organisers said Ai’s large-scale show would take over Aviva Studios’ Warehouse space as he explores 200 years of world history.
The exhibition will incorporate materials such as antique timber, porcelain, cotton, glass and bronze, and will bring new and existing large-scale work together, on display in the UK for the first time.
Ai, who was born in 1957 in Beijing, is the first artist living and working in the Asia-Pacific region to be commissioned for the series.
He has played a key role in contemporary Chinese art over the last two decades, and has been highly vocal about human rights issues.
He said: “Visiting the city for this exhibition – the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution – and reflecting on Britain’s global territorial expansion made me realise I had to explore that history and understand how it connects to the forces driving today’s wars and global crises.
“The world today is deeply divided, with tragedy all around. Understanding history goes hand in hand with standing up for truth and justice.”
Ai Weiwei: Button Up! will run from 2 July to 6 September at Aviva Studios in Manchester