Courtesy of Ai Weiwei Studio
MAXXI L’Aquila opens its 2026 exhibition season with internationally known contemporary artist, documentarian, and activist, Ai Weiwei. Ai Weiwei: Aftershock will showcase Ai's five-decade career, ranging from works created in New York in the 80s to new sculptures created in Ukraine in 2025. At the heart of the exhibition is a group of works inspired by the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, presented in the Baroque spaces of Palazzo Ardinghelli, a building that symbolises rebirth after the earthquake that struck L’Aquila in 2009. Palazzo Ardinghelli was among the first structures in the city to be restored after the 2009 quake. In this context, Ai Weiwei: Aftershock explores the lasting impact of natural disasters, conflicts, corruption and collective tragedies, emphasising human resilience and the power of the creative act as a form of testimony and transformation.
Learn more at maxxilaquila.art.
