Ai Weiwei: History of Bombs

Disappointing installation at the Imperial War Museum by Ai Weiwei.

I’d looked forward to seeing this installation as I like Ai Weiwei’s work and finding out what new things he has to say. The work consisted of a print across the whole of the ground floor of real historic and contemporary bomb at life size with details of their dimensions and power. I liked the way it extended up the staircase opposite the entrance.

However I am afraid it lost it’s power with the confusion of the exhibits hanging above it and it was all too easy to walk across it without looking down and taking in the awesome information it was trying to impart. The write up says that it is “Exploring international migration, conflict as a root cause of human flow, and the relationship between the individual, society and the state” but I’m afraid that was lost in me. It might work better in a different space but I’m afraid here it looked a bit decorative rather than powerful.

I guess though that there is something to be said by such powerful images almost being trivialised. Often when we hear about them in the news they just become a story and we gloss over in our minds the reality of their destruction. Maybe this has become more powerful to me as I write it up!

Closes 5 September 2021

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