Ai Weiwei to Reenact His Own Detention in 24-Hour Performance in Manchester
Ai Weiwei will reenact his 81-day detention by China’s Ministry of Public Security in a 24-hour performance titled “Sewing a Button” at Factory International’s Aviva Studios in Manchester, England. The performance begins at 5 p.m. on July 3 and runs until July 4, following the July 2 opening of Ai’s site-specific exhibition “Button Up!,” with visitors able to book two-hour slots or a full 24-hour ticket and some footage broadcast online. The work activates a re-creation of Ai’s cell measuring 7.2 meters by 3.6 meters (about 23.6 feet by 11.8 feet) and includes activities such as sleeping, eating, exercising, writing, washing, and being interrogated, monitored via three CCTV cameras. Factory International also commissioned “Eight-Nation Alliance Flags” (button-made flags) and a new version of “History of Bombs” (a toy-brick mural), alongside works including “S.A.C.R.E.D.” (2013), “Law of the Journey” (2017), “Wang Family Ancestral Hall” (2015), “La Commedia Umana” (2017–21), and “Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads” (2010).
From This Briefing
This story was covered in Museums on Delay, Biennales Draw New Lines