Ai Weiwei Installs 3,144 Bicycles in Mesmerizing Public Exhibit

It appears Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei is quite the fan of bicycles. Thousands of bicycles, that is. Ai Weiwei designed his biggest-ever Forever Bicycles exhibit in Toronto for Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, an all-night contemporary art event that takes over city streets. The exhibit, containing 3,144 bicycles, is over twice as large as its initial version in Taipei last year.

Forever (in Chinese, Yong Jiu) is the oldest Chinese bicycle brand in China. By featuring bicycles, Ai Weiwei draws visitors into the most common transportation mode in China, “suggesting that Weiwei is forcing us to think about this omnipresent transportation tool in a foreign setting of stasis and rest,” according to Zach Sokol at the Creators Project.

Visitors can explore the massive, labyrinthian bicycle sculpture, which is lit by dramatic, colorful lights at night. The exhibit is housed in Nathan Phillips Square and can be visited 24 hours a day through October 27.

Below find some of the best fan pics on Instagram right now:

The 2012 documentary film about Ai Weiwei, Never Sorry, is being screened in Toronto during the artist’s installation.

When the exhibit debuted in Taipei last year, it was comprised of 1,200 bicycles, was indoor-only, and didn’t contain the colorful light effects now present.

Featured image via lewcyy