Zuecca Projects, in collaboration with Lisson Gallery, presents across two locations in Venice, the Zitelle complex, home of Zuecca Projects, and the church of Sant'Antonin, an exhibition of new works by Ai Weiwei.

The exhibition comprises landmark works showing Ai Weiwei at the height of his artistic and polemic powers. In Zuecca is presented an expanded version of the artist's acclaimed sculptural installation Straight, first exhibited at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington D.C. in 2012. Straight is formed from multiple tons of steel rebar recovered from the collapsed schools in which more than five thousand children perished during the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan, China.

For the Sant'Antonin church location, Ai Weiwei has specially conceived a new work, creating a dialogue between the artist and the existing architecture, and as a contemporary Chinese response to the city of Venice.

Ai Weiwei is known internationally for his work reflecting present-day China and his concern with human rights and freedom of expression. He serves as an example for legitimate social criticism and free expression both in China and internationally. This exhibition represents a new chapter in the long-standing historical relationship - founded on trade, as well as religious and cultural exchange - that exists between China and Venice. The relationship will acquire fresh immediacy in light of the artist's interpretation of Contemporary China within the context of the city.