The Seattle Art Museum (SAM) presents a monumental retrospective of Ai Weiwei’s 40-year career with Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei. This exhibition, which marks the artist’s first major US retrospective in over a decade, features over 130 works spanning various media including photography, sculpture, video, and installation.
SAM is dedicating all three of its locations to this comprehensive show, offering a rare opportunity to immerse in Ai’s expansive body of work. At the Seattle Art Museum’s downtown location, visitors can explore a wide range of over 130 works, including iconic pieces such as Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn and Sunflower Seeds. The Seattle Asian Art Museum will feature Ai’s striking Water Lilies (2022), a vast LEGO reinterpretation of Monet’s masterpiece, on display from March 19th, 2025, to March 15th, 2026. Meanwhile, at the Olympic Sculpture Park, Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads (Bronze) (2010), a series of twelve monumental bronze sculptures, will be exhibited from May 17th, 2025, to May 17th, 2027. This open-air installation, situated in the park’s Ackerley Meadow, invites visitors to walk among the sculptures and reflect on Ai’s exploration of cultural identity and history. Each location provides a unique context for engaging with Ai’s powerful and thought-provoking work.
Ai, Rebel offers an in-depth look at Ai Weiwei’s intersection of art and activism, confronting political power and global issues such as human rights and migration.
Don’t miss our interview with Ai Weiwei in the upcoming #SS25 edition. Preorder now—available in stores by the end of March.
