Rapture: Where the celestial meets the reality

Near Belem, in Cordoaria Nacional – a old Portuguese navy factory -, can be found the contemporary in Rapture, the first art exhibition from Ai Weiwei in Portugal.

Near Belem, in Cordoaria Nacional – a old Portuguese navy factory -, can be found the contemporary in Rapture, the first art exhibition from Ai Weiwei in Portugal. Considered the world's most popular artist in 2020 by The Art Newspaper, Ai Weiwei is known by his activism sociopolitical activism, and usually connects his art to contemporary and humanistic issues. Nowadays is recognized as symbol of resistance to oppression and freedom of speech, specifically in causes endorsed to his roots, China.

Snake Ceiling (2009) // MARIANA SERRANO In an exhibition curated by Marcello Dantas - who works with him since South America, more than half a decade ago – we can find two main nuclei. Rapture is an ecstasy, it is an ascent, this connection between the earth and the celestial. The fantasy and imagination, where we can find the astrological figures – connected with his Chinese roots.

Circle of Animals (2010) // MARIANA SERRANO And the reality, where we can find emergent problems like refugees, repression, and ecological global crisis. Qing Dynasty; and Law of the Journey (2016) Ai Weiwei will never go to run to the end of the cable, because he is the concept. Even if he knows how to do it, because he was for a long time a carpenter, and did hand work. But he prefers to employ people, give the idea and the concept, and let them execute what he plans. This is one of the many informations we can find in the many documentary. Written by Mariana Serrano. Reporters: Mariana Serrano and Rita Silva.