This quiz looks at the life, installations, and political activism of Ai Weiwei. He is one of the most prominent creative voices of our time, known for his bold stands against censorship.
Questions cover his famous porcelain exhibitions, conflicts with governments, and architectural contributions. Some of the trivia is straightforward, while other questions test more detailed historical events.
Afterwards, see how much you know about famous artists, learn more about contemporary art, or browse our section on sculpture.
Ai Weiwei is internationally recognized as a contemporary artist primarily known for which medium?
Digital animation
Digital animation
Painting
Painting
Sculpture
Sculpture
Fashion design
Fashion design
In 2010, Ai Weiwei famously filled which iconic space with millions of porcelain objects?
The Louvre, Paris
The Louvre, Paris
The Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall
The Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall
The British Museum, London
The British Museum, London
The Guggenheim Museum, New York
The Guggenheim Museum, New York
The porcelain sunflower seeds in the Tate installation were handcrafted in which city, historically known as the ‘Porcelain Capital’ of China?
Jingdezhen
Jingdezhen
Beijing
Beijing
Shanghai
Shanghai
Guangzhou
Guangzhou
What is the name of the acclaimed installation consisting of millions of individually hand-painted ceramic pieces?
Stone Pebble
Stone Pebble
Sunlight
Sunlight
Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower Seeds
Grain of Rice
Grain of Rice
Which social media platform did Ai Weiwei famously use extensively to document his life and challenge political censorship after his blog was shut down in 2009?
In which year was Ai Weiwei held in secret detention by Chinese authorities for 81 days?
2012
2012
2010
2010
2013
2013
2011
2011
What was the official reason cited by the Chinese government for Ai Weiwei’s detention in 2011?
Economic crimes
Economic crimes
Inciting subversion of state power
Inciting subversion of state power
Espionage
Espionage
Illegal assembly
Illegal assembly
Which iconic photographic series features the artist making a defiant gesture toward famous landmarks?
Fairytale
Fairytale
Study of Perspective
Study of Perspective
Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower Seeds
Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn
Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn
In which city did Ai Weiwei relocate after his passport was returned by the Chinese government in 2015?
Berlin, Germany
Berlin, Germany
New York, United States
New York, United States
Taipei, Taiwan
Taipei, Taiwan
London, United Kingdom
London, United Kingdom
Ai Weiwei drew international attention for dropping and smashing which specific historical artifact?
Tang dynasty bronze mirror
Tang dynasty bronze mirror
Han dynasty urn
Han dynasty urn
Qing dynasty chair
Qing dynasty chair
Ming dynasty teapot
Ming dynasty teapot
Following the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, Ai Weiwei used which material to highlight the poor construction of school buildings?
Reclaimed wood from temples
Reclaimed wood from temples
Lego bricks
Lego bricks
Used tea leaves
Used tea leaves
Industrial steel rebar
Industrial steel rebar
The 2017 documentary film ‘Human Flow’ directed by Ai Weiwei focuses on which global issue?
Climate change in the Arctic
Climate change in the Arctic
Urbanization in Africa
Urbanization in Africa
Global refugee crisis
Global refugee crisis
Technological growth in Silicon Valley
Technological growth in Silicon Valley
Approximately how many porcelain ‘seeds’ were included in the original Tate Modern installation?
One hundred million
One hundred million
Two hundred million
Two hundred million
Fifty million
Fifty million
Five hundred million
Five hundred million
Ai Weiwei served as an artistic consultant for the architecture of which 2008 Olympic venue?
Beijing National Stadium (Bird’s Nest)
Beijing National Stadium (Bird’s Nest)
Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park
Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park
Wukesong Sports Centre
Wukesong Sports Centre
Beijing National Aquatics Center (Water Cube)
Beijing National Aquatics Center (Water Cube)
In his work ‘Fragments’, what materials did the artist utilize to create a map of China?
Found clothing from migrants in Lesbos
Found clothing from migrants in Lesbos
Used mobile phones from e-waste sites
Used mobile phones from e-waste sites
Plastic waste collected from the Pacific Ocean
Plastic waste collected from the Pacific Ocean
Wooden beams from demolished Qing dynasty temples
Wooden beams from demolished Qing dynasty temples
Why was the public prohibited from walking on the sunflower seed installation at the Tate Modern shortly after it opened?
They were made of toxic materials
They were made of toxic materials
They were considered culturally offensive
They were considered culturally offensive
Walking on them created dangerous dust
Walking on them created dangerous dust
They were too heavy for the floor
They were too heavy for the floor
Ai Weiwei’s father, Ai Qing, was a famous Chinese figure in which field?
Poetry
Poetry
Filmmaking
Filmmaking
Architecture
Architecture
Music composition
Music composition
Ai Weiwei created a systematic online database to memorialize victims of which tragic event?
The Three Gorges Dam construction
The Three Gorges Dam construction
The 1989 Tiananmen Square protests
The 1989 Tiananmen Square protests
The 2008 Sichuan earthquake
The 2008 Sichuan earthquake
The COVID-19 lockdown in Wuhan
The COVID-19 lockdown in Wuhan
In which Chinese city, famous for its centuries-old history of porcelain production, were the sunflower seeds manufactured?
Shanghai
Shanghai
Beijing
Beijing
Jingdezhen
Jingdezhen
Guangzhou
Guangzhou
How were the individual sunflower seeds manufactured for the Tate installation?
They were cast from bronze
They were cast from bronze
They were 3D printed using resin
They were 3D printed using resin
They were carved from jade
They were carved from jade
They were formed from clay, fired, and hand-painted
They were formed from clay, fired, and hand-painted
Between 2011 and 2015, what major restriction did the Chinese government place on Ai Weiwei regarding his mobility?
He was forbidden from leaving the country
He was forbidden from leaving the country
He was denied access to all art supplies
He was denied access to all art supplies
He published a weekly newspaper for the government
He published a weekly newspaper for the government
He was required to attend state-sanctioned events
He was required to attend state-sanctioned events
Which institution hosted a significant major survey of Ai Weiwei’s work in London in 2015, the same year he regained his passport?
The Royal Academy of Arts
The Royal Academy of Arts
The Art Institute of Chicago
The Art Institute of Chicago
The Uffizi Gallery
The Uffizi Gallery
The Hirshhorn Museum
The Hirshhorn Museum
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