This September, the renowned Chinese artist and activist brings a new Ai Weiwei installation project to Kyiv, Ukraine. Titled Three Perfectly Proportioned Spheres and Camouflage Uniforms Painted White, the large-scale work opens September 14th and runs through November 30th, 2025, at Pavilion 13 — a newly restored Soviet-era exhibition hall now reborn as a contemporary cultural space. Commissioned by RIBBON International, this bold Ai Weiwei installation piece explores the tension between visibility and violence in times of conflict.
The three monumental spheres at the center of the Ai Weiwei installation are constructed from camouflage uniforms, hand-stitched and painted white — a technique the artist describes as “a paradox of hiding through exposure.” Inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s studies of geometry, the work continues themes first explored in Ai’s Divina Proportione series. This layering of symbolism becomes a visual meditation on concealment, power, and the buried cost of war.
Uniquely, the camouflage designs are modeled after the fur patterns of stray cats rescued by Ai and his team — a detail that injects an unexpected, emotional dimension into this Ai Weiwei installation. The spheres provoke questions about perception, peace, and the blurred edges between memory and destruction.
The setting, Pavilion 13, has been reimagined by Kyiv-based architecture firm FORMA, and stands as a metaphor for cultural renewal amid war.
For more insight, don’t miss our Ai Weiwei interview — a candid exploration of creativity, legacy, and the role of art in shaping the world today.
Courtesy of ADAM SIMONS and RIBBON INTERNATIONAL