Ai Weiwei’s latest installation – Mushrooms – in the grounds of Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art. A memorial for our times, that encapsulates the uncertainty that many are feeling at the moment, with the onslaught of global crisis after global crisis.
The artist says that he was inspired by the perceived futility of Germany offering 5,000 helmets to Ukraine ahead of Russia’s invasion of its territory in 2022. The installation features 500 cast-iron helmets laid out in ten rows and is intended to draw attention to our disconnection from the suffering of nations, international turmoil and the insufficiency of the global response. On being asked whether he feels art can give him hope, Ai Weiwei, with typical candour, tells The Guardian that he doesn’t feel it does
‘Real art questions the existing order. Art is not about representing so-called beauty, but rather to question the existing judgment about everything in politics, in life, in personal relations, in individual judgment – but this kind of art is never encouraged’
The installation is the latest 2026 Neil Balnaves Tallawoladah Lawn Commission and will be on display at the museum for seven months.
📷Ai Weiwei, Mushrooms, 2026, installation view, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, 2026, cast iron, commissioned by the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia for the 2026 Neil Balnaves Tallawoladah Lawn Commission, image courtesy Ai Weiwei Studio, MCA Australia, Galleria Continua and Lisson Gallery © Ai Weiwei Studio, photography: Anna Kučera
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