The Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei is set to unveil his first solo exhibition in India at Nature Morte in New Delhi, marking a significant moment for the country’s contemporary art scene. Opening on January 15th, 2026 and running through February 22nd, 2026, the exhibition brings together key works spanning decades of Ai Weiwei’s influential practice.
Ai Weiwei: a first encounter at Nature Morte
Taking place at Nature Morte’s Dhan Mill space in southern New Delhi, the as-yet-untitled exhibition showcases over four decades of Ai Weiwei’s artistic exploration. Renowned for his ability to merge history, politics, and material culture, Ai Weiwei does not approach India as a mere backdrop, but rather as an active point of dialogue, connecting local traditions with global narratives. The exhibition has been organised in collaboration with Galleria Continua.
Concept and artistic language
On display are large-scale Lego works reinterpreting iconic images from art history, including references to Hokusai and Monet. For his India debut, Ai Weiwei also presents new Lego compositions inspired by Pichwais, the devotional cloth paintings rooted in Hindu tradition, alongside homages to Indian modernist painters V.S. Gaitonde and S.H. Raza.
The exhibition further includes the installation Whitewashed Remnants of History of the State of Emerging Future Works, in which everyday antiques are transformed through acts of erasure, as well as F.U.C.K. (2024), a stark textile-based work confronting themes of power and conflict.
Together, the exhibition presents Ai Weiwei’s first solo show in India as both timely and relevant, inviting reflection on history, resistance and the role of art in the present day.
Join us for our thought-provoking interview with Ai Weiwei, in which he discusses courage and resistance, the necessity of ideas in art, and the narratives we construct through objects.
F.U.C.K, 2024
Courtesy of AI WEIWEI and NATURE MORTE
