How a tweet and 30 tons of buttons led to a series of new Ai Weiwei artworks | Factory International

In 2019, Ai Weiwei (‪@diaocha‬) became the owner of one of the largest collections of buttons in the world when he bought the stock of button wholesaler A Brown & Co. In the button – tiny, unremarkable and in every sense a ‘readymade’ – Ai Weiwei saw the story of globalisation. Once associated with the cotton industry in the U.K. and Manchester, buttons are now mass produced in China. The resultant artwork Eight-Nation Alliance Flags premieres as part of Button Up! – a major new exhibition by Ai Weiwei confronting 200 years of history, power and empire in Chinese-British relations. 🔔 Click 'Subscribe' for the latest videos from Factory International. https://factoryinternational.org/ Instagram:   / factory_international   Facebook:   / factoryinternational   TikTok:   / factoryinternational