Long awaited Ai Weiwei’s Lego project unveiled

Lego Room, the long awaited artwork by Ai Weiwei was unveiled at the National Gallery of Victoria as part of the exhibition “Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei” on view from today until the 24th of April 2016.

The piece celebrates Australian political activists, including WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

All the bricks used to build the artworks in the room are the result of Ai Weiwei’s appeal through his social media to donate them right after the news broke that lego had refused to supply a bulk order to the artist this past October. Collection points were set up in various locations around the world including outside the Royal Academy in London which is hosting the artist’s retrospective until December 13th and the Perez Art Museum in Miami.

The official hashtag of the campaign on social media was #legosforweiwei

Presenting the work of both artists, the exhibition“Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei” explores modern and contemporary art, life and cultural politics through the activities of two exemplary figures – one of whom represents twentieth century modernity and the ‘American century’; and the other contemporary life in the twenty-first century and what has been heralded as the ‘Chinese century’ to come.The show premieres a suite of major new commissions from Ai Weiwei, including an installation from the Forever Bicycles series, composed from almost 1500 bicycles.