Review of 'Ai Weiwei'
https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/ai-weiwei
So, all I really knew about Ai Weiwei before attending this exhibition was that he was not terribly well-liked by the Chinese government, had had problems getting a Visa for the UK and had some really interesting looking artwork. After attending this show on a very busy Saturday I now know much more about the man and his art. You are given an audio guide as part of the admission and I would recommend you pick it up as it provides more information than what is available in each of the rooms (though a plaque describing each piece is present). I would also recommend, to avoid the large queues, that you purchase your tickets in advance (ticket holders just walk straight in).
The exhibit occupies all of the main gallery space on the main floor of the Royal Academy and it is space very much needed with some of his massive pieces on display here. The show seeks to provide a broad overview of the man and his art - which it does reasonably well. There is only the one piece “Bicycle Chandelier” which has been specifically created for this exhibition that occupies the central gallery, the final room of the show.