Ai Weiwei

Blenheim Palace is a UNESCO World Heritate site and is the historic family home of the Duke of Marlborough. As of recently it is also now home to the non-profit Blenheim Art Foundation which offers a programme of contemporary art by prominent international artists. It was launched on 1 October with the largest ever UK exhibition of works by leading Chinese artist and political activist Ai Weiwei.

On show are 30 installations throughout the palace, including black and red river porcelain crabs on the floor of the Red Drawing Room, Han-dynasty vases with Coca-Cola logos in the Green Drawing Room, and giant blue pocelain orbs on the lawns.

Viewed by China as a dissident, the artist was arrested in Beijing and held without charges for several months in 2011 over his campaigns against alleged human rights abuses by the Chinese government. Weiwei currently works from his studio in Beijing but is prohibited from leaving China and remains under heavy police surveillance.

10.30-17.30 (last admission 16.45)