Hundreds of bicycles make-up Ai Weiwei's latest sculpture for Italian gallery

Date
10 January 2013

“There are nine million bicycles in Beijing, that’s a fact,” sang Katie Melua a few years ago showing a blatant disregard for the meaning of the word fact. But here’s a Chinese-linked bicycle fact for for you, there are 760 bicycles in Ai Weiwei’s latest sculpture at the Galleria Continua in San Gimignano, Italy. The extraordinary walk-through piece on a raised stage in the gallery references some of the iconic artist’s previous work and questions our relationship with mobility, consumerism and mass manufacture. Put that in your pipe and smoke it Melua!

Mostre in Corso runs until February 16.

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Ai Weiwei: Stacked

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Ai Weiwei: Stacked

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Ai Weiwei: Stacked

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Ai Weiwei: Stacked

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Ai Weiwei: Stacked

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Ai Weiwei: Stacked

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Ai Weiwei: Stacked

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About the Author

Rob Alderson

Rob joined It’s Nice That as Online Editor in July 2011 before becoming Editor-in-Chief and working across all editorial projects including itsnicethat.com, Printed Pages, Here and Nicer Tuesdays. Rob left It’s Nice That in June 2015.

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