Ai Weiwei: Button Up! – an exhibition of ‘extraordinary’ courage
The article reviews Ai Weiwei's exhibition 'Button Up!' at Manchester's Aviva Studios, highlighting his status as a Chinese contemporary artist and activist who has criticized the Chinese Communist Party, leading to imprisonment, house arrest, and exile. The show features large-scale works including a replica cell where Ai re-enacted 24 hours of his 81-day detention, a giant Lego mural 'History of Bombs', a chandelier made of glass body parts, a giant inflatable dinghy addressing the refugee crisis, and house-sized flags made of buttons representing nations that invaded China in 1900. Critics praise Ai's courage and risk-taking but note his work lacks nuance, with heavy-handed symbolism and superficial effects. The exhibition runs until 6 September.
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