Ai Weiwei to present first solo show in Greece at Cycladic Art Museum
Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei will present his first solo exhibition in Greece at the Cycladic Art Museum, the institution announced Wednesday. The show, "Ai Weiwei at Cycladic", is scheduled to go on display at the Athens Museum from May 20 to October 30.
The upcoming display is billed as the artist's first to be hosted by an archaeological museum. According to the organizers, at the Cycladic Art Museum the artist will explore history and cultural heritage as well as current social and political affairs. One of the show's works will be inspired by the museum's permanent collection of Cycladic art.
Going on display are 25 works, including previous projects such as "Grapes" (2011), "Divina Proportione (2012) and "Mask" (2011).
The artist set up a studio on the eastern Aegean island of Lesvos earlier this year in an effort to draw attention to the refugee and migrant crisis. In March, Weiwei visited the Idomeni refugee and migrant camp located at the Greece-Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia border.
In February, an installation by the artist in Berlin showcased thousands of used life vests by refugees and migrants left on the shores of Lesvos.
On Wednesday, the museum announced that 10 percent of the show's total proceeds, including sales of tickets, merchandise at the museum shop and sponsorships, will benefit a carefully selected number of NGOs involved in the management of the refugee and migrant crisis across Greece.
