AI Weiwei and Rubelli’s ‘About Silk’ Is a Panopticon of Precious Fabrics

Summary

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei and Italian fabric house Rubelli teamed up to open a show of silk artworks during Milan Design Week
About Silk weaves Weiwei’s most iconic motifs — including the middle finger, surveillance cameras and chains — into lustrous silk wrappings, bringing material warmth to Weiwei’s sociopolitical commentary
The exhibition is open through May 15

I’m really excited about Ai Weiwei’s latest work! He’s always been amazing at challenging authority, and now he’s doing it with silk – it’s such a beautiful and unexpected medium. The exhibition sounds incredible, like he’s weaving his powerful message about society and politics right into these gorgeous designs. I can’t wait to see it!

Okay, so I checked out Ai Weiwei’s installation, About Silk, at Milan Design Week, and it’s seriously immersive. The whole space is covered – like, completely – in these amazing silk fabrics, mostly gold, orange, and red. But it’s not just pretty fabric; it’s covered in symbols that represent Weiwei’s life and all the challenges he’s faced with censorship and hardship. It really feels like you’re stepping into his personal story and seeing how his experiences have shaped his art. It’s less about the silk itself and more about what the silk is showing, you know?

Visitors find themselves surrounded by beautifully detailed silk fabrics. Referencing Ai Weiwei’s 2015 wallpaper, ornate gold frames are revealed to be hidden security cameras. Scattered throughout the installation are symbols like Twitter birds, handcuffs, and chains, alongside his iconic “Finger” gesture – a reference to his exploration of perspective. These elements all connect to themes of free expression, freedom, and defiance against unfair power structures.

A black-and-white documentary on the lower level reveals the making of the project. It features the artist discussing their initial sketches and experiments, and explores the connections between Chinese and Italian cultures through the use of fabrics.

This exhibition is the artist’s first time working with silk, a fabric originally created in ancient China. He’s taken the sharp lines of protest imagery and softened them with gold thread, a deliberate choice to highlight the importance of human skill and artistry in an increasingly automated world. As Weiwei explained to Wallpaper magazine, this growing reliance on technology is reducing our ability to experience things through touch and feel, which he believes endangers both our humanity and our connection to the past.

When working with Rubelli, I wanted to explore a fresh design method using silk – a material that combines practicality with intricate detail.

About Silk is now on view in Milan through May 15.

Rubelli Milan
Via Fatebenefratelli, 9,
20121 Milano MI,
Italy

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