Ai Weiwei, the Chinese artist and activist, has travelled to the front lines of Ukraine’s war against Russia’s full-scale invasion just weeks before unveiling a new commission in Kyiv. In eastern Ukraine, near Kharkiv, Ai met with Ukrainian fighters and cultural figures as well as Pyotr Verzilov, a member of Pussy Riot who is fighting against Russia for Ukraine.
In a series of photographs and videos posted on Instagram without any commentary over the weekend, Ai documented his meetings with Ukrainian soldiers in forests and trenches, cultural figures and landmark Constructivist architecture in Kharkiv—which is under regular Russian attack—and images of support including the blue and yellow national flag, fields of sunflowers and a puzzle of Reply of the Zaporizhzhian Cossacks (1880-91), a painting by the Ukrainian-born artist Ilya Repin.
At least ten people were killed in Kharkiv and in Zaporizhzhia by Russian drone strikes on Sunday night and Monday morning (17-18 August), just hours before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders were scheduled to meet at the White House with US President Donald Trump. Following a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on 15 August, Trump is pressuring for a trilateral meeting with Putin and Zelensky.
In some posts, Ai is shown wearing a black shirt with the Ukrainian word Khartiia in white, denoting a volunteer unit that has become the 13th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine. Khartiia’s fighters include Serhiy Zhadan, a well-known Ukrainian poet and musician from Kharkiv, and Verzilov, the Pussy Riot member who has joined the Ukrainian military and been declared a terrorist and charged with state treason by Russia.
“I went to Kharkiv and spent a few days with Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines,” Ai tells The Art Newspaper. “I saw how extremely difficult their lives are from my interactions with them, but their resolve is also incredibly strong. I met many Ukrainians, from high-ranking military leaders to drone operators and ordinary soldiers. Their attitudes and understanding of their situation were consistent: they cannot accept their country and culture falling under the control of an invading military power. My impression is that they will never accept this. At the same time, they believe that regardless of the outcome of negotiations, no country or state leader can sway the will or decide the fate of the Ukrainian people.”
Verzilov documented Ai’s visit to the front on Instagram as well, including photos and a video of them together in camouflage body armour. He wrote in his post: “The chief artist of modernity, one of the pillars of world culture, the symbol of modern art Ai Weiwei came to us at the frontline in the very heart of the war, on combat positions north of the beautiful city of Kharkiv.”
Ai’s forthcoming installation, Three Perfectly Proportioned Spheres and Camouflage Uniforms Painted White, was commissioned by the non-profit Ribbon International and inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s mathematical illustrations. It will be on view in Kyiv at Pavilion 13, a renovated Soviet-era venue, from 14 September until 30 November.
