Ai Weiwei - summer exhibitions from Manchester to Paris
Published on 08/27/2026 at 17:20 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Ai Weiwei shapes this summer’s institutional landscape with parallel presentations in the UK and France. His expansive exhibition Ai Weiwei: Button Up! runs at Aviva Studios in Manchester, as Factory International details, while his sculptural work anchors Plein Soleil at Galleria Continua in Paris. Factory International exhibition page
Ai Weiwei: Button Up! in Manchester
The exhibition Ai Weiwei: Button Up! occupies The Warehouse at Aviva Studios in Manchester from July 2 to September 6, 2026, presenting new and existing large-scale works in the UK for the first time. Factory International exhibition page
Factory International describes the show as a monumental environment in which Ai Weiwei reflects on two centuries of Chinese-British relations and wider global histories, combining sculpture, installation and documentary material in a tightly choreographed parcours.
Summer presence at Galleria Continua Paris
In parallel, Ai Weiwei’s work features in Plein Soleil, the summer group exhibition at Galleria Continua’s Paris Matignon and Marais spaces, on view from June 10 to August 29, 2026.
The exhibition text highlights his sculptural installation Colored Vases, three ancient Chinese jars from the Neolithic and Han periods coated in industrial paint, which Galleria Continua frames as an image of an “invisible but always present” history masked by color. STIR exhibition report
All news and background on Ai Weiwei
For further reporting on Ai Weiwei’s exhibitions, publications and public statements, the AD HOC NEWS archive offers additional updates and contextual coverage.
The work core and practice
Ai Weiwei works across sculpture, installation, photography, film and architecture, often combining ready-made materials with precise fabrication to address censorship, migration, state violence and historical memory.
Series such as Colored Vases, the reconfigured furniture works and large-scale installations of salvaged steel or life jackets position his practice at the intersection of material experiment and pointed political commentary, grounded in research and public testimony.
Where Ai Weiwei stands now
Ai Weiwei currently maintains a strong institutional presence with Ai Weiwei: Button Up! at Aviva Studios in Manchester and the group exhibition Plein Soleil at Galleria Continua in Paris Matignon, both running through late August and early September 2026.
Key facts on Ai Weiwei
- Artist: Ai Weiwei
- Medium / Genre: Installation, sculpture, conceptual art, film
- Born: 1957, Beijing, China
- Place(s) of practice: Studios in Europe and the United Kingdom, with regular project-based work in multiple locations.
- Active since: Early 1980s, with increased international visibility from the 2000s through major exhibitions and public commissions.
- Key work groups: Colored Vases, Sunflower Seeds, Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn, Water Lilies
- Current/last exhibition: Ai Weiwei: Button Up!, Aviva Studios, Manchester, July 2 - September 6, 2026
- Major collections: Works by Ai Weiwei are held in public collections including the Seattle Art Museum and other international institutions with contemporary art programs.
- Awards: Ai Weiwei has received international recognition through numerous honors for his artistic and human-rights work, including major European and global distinctions.
- Next date: Summer 2026 exhibitions in Manchester and Paris running into late August and early September.
Frequently asked questions about Ai Weiwei
Where is Ai Weiwei currently on view in 2026?
In summer 2026 Ai Weiwei is on view with his solo exhibition Ai Weiwei: Button Up! at Aviva Studios in Manchester and in the group exhibition Plein Soleil at Galleria Continua in Paris Matignon and Marais.
What is shown in the exhibition Ai Weiwei: Button Up! in Manchester?
Factory International presents Ai Weiwei: Button Up! as a large-scale environment combining new and existing works that examine two centuries of Chinese-British relations and broader histories through installation, sculpture and documentary materials.
Which Ai Weiwei work appears in Plein Soleil at Galleria Continua Paris?
The Paris exhibition text highlights the sculptural installation Colored Vases, ancient Chinese jars coated in industrial paint that Galleria Continua describes as a reflection on masked yet persistent histories.
This article was produced with a.i. support and editorially reviewed. All statements without guarantee; auction results, exhibition dates and awards may change at short notice.
