Showing: Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei @ National Gallery Victoria

On the 11th of December, the National Gallery Victoria in Melbourne opened a major international exhibition featuring two of the most significant artists of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries – Andy Warhol and Ai Weiwei. Staying on view through the 24th of April, the show presents more than 300 works, including major new commissions, immersive installations and a wide representation of paintings, sculpture, film, photography, publishing and social media.

Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei was organized by the NGV and The Andy Warhol Museum, with the participation of Ai Weiwei himself. The idea of this extensive exhibition is to explore the influence of these two exemplary artists on modern art and contemporary life, focusing on the parallels, intersections and points of difference between the two artists’ practices. In this manner, visitors can see vintage photos of Warhol at Tienanmen square, young AWW in front of Warhol’s work, as well as notice similarities in some of their works. Major new commissions from Ai Weiwei included in this show are an installation from the Forever Bicycles series (composed from almost 1500 bicycles), a major five-metre-tall work from Ai’s Chandelier series of crystal and light, Blossom 2015 – a spectacular installation in the form of a large bed of thousands of delicate, intricately designed white porcelain flowers, and a room-scale installation featuring portraits of Australian advocates for human rights and freedom of speech & information. Along with this major event, NGV released some limited edition items available only in store at the NGV design store.

Discuss Ai Weiwei here.
Discuss Andy Warhol here.

Installation view of the Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria, 11 December 2015 –24 April 2016. Andy Warhol artwork © 2015 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc./ARS, New York. Administered by Viscopy, Sydney; Ai Weiwei artwork © Ai Weiwei. Photo: Brooke Holm
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Ai Weiwei at National Gallery of Victoria exhibition Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei, 11 December 2015 –24 April 2016.Ai Weiwei artwork © Ai Weiwei. Photo:John Gollings
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AiWeiwei at National Gallery of Victoria exhibition Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei, 11 December 2015 –24 April 2016. Ai Weiwei artwork © Ai Weiwei. Photo:John Gollings
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Ai WeiweiChinese 1957–At the Museum of Modern Art1987from the New York Photographsseries 1983–93 silver gelatin photographAi Weiwei Studio© Ai Weiwei; Andy Warhol artwork © 2015 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc./ARS, New York. Licensed by Viscopy, Sydney.
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Christopher MakosAndy Warhol in Tiananmen Square1982© Christopher Makos 1982, makostudio.com
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Ai WeiweiChinese 1957–Tiananmen Square, Beijing, China1995from the Study of Perspectiveseries 1995–2011gelatin silver photographvarious dimensionsAi Weiwei Studio© Ai Weiwei
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Ai WeiweiChinese 1957–Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia2006from the Study of Perspectiveseries 1995–2011type C photographvarious dimensionsAi Weiwei Studio© Ai Weiwei
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Andy WarholAmerican 1928–87You’re In1967spray paint on glass bottles in printed wooden crateCrate: 20.3 x 43.2 x 30.5 cmBottles (each): 20.3 x 5.7 cmDiameter: 18.7 cmThe Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh; Founding Collection, Contribution The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.© 2015 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc./ARS, New York. Licensed by Viscopy, Sydney.
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Ai WeiweiChinese 1957–Mao (Facing Forward)1986oil on canvas233.6 x 193.0 cmPrivate collectionImage courtesy Ai Weiwei Studio© Ai WeiweiEXHI037631Ai WeiweiChinese 1957–Neolithic Potterywith Coca Cola Logo 2007paint, Neolithic ceramic urn27.94 x 24.89 cmPrivate collectionImage courtesy Ai Weiwei Studio© Ai Weiwei
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Steve SchapiroAndy Warhol Blowing Up Silver Cloud Pillow, Los Angeles 1966© Steve Schapiro; Andy Warhol artwork © 2015 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc./ARS, New York. Licensed by Viscopy, Sydney.
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Ai WeiweiChinese 1957–Ai Weiwei with Andy Warhol’s Silver Clouds, @aiww, Instagram, 2015Ai Weiwei Studio© Ai Weiwei; Andy Warhol artwork ©2015 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc./ARS, New York. Licensed by Viscopy, Sydney.
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Andy Warhol American 1928–87Three Marilyns1962acrylic,silkscreen ink, and graphite on linen35.6 x 85.1 cmThe Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh; Founding Collection, Contribution The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.©2015The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc./ARS, New York. Licensed by Viscopy, Sydney.
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