Andy Warhol - Ai Weiwei

It has taken a while but I finally managed to check out the Andy Warhol - Ai Weiwei exhibition this afternoon at the NGV. Covering both of their careers, the exhibition features over 300 works from these two contemporary artists in a wide variety of media including paintings, sculptures, photography and film.

While Warhol defined the twentieth century Pop Art movement in New York City, Weiwei builds on this legacy in the twenty-first century as he brings together the traditional with the modern. Both artists have similar themes running through their careers, including self-portraiture, the chronicling of daily life, their own artistic studios, flowers, and a love of cats. Weiwei's work is more political though, and as a social activist in China he continues to battle for human rights and freedom of expression.

Below are some of my favorite pieces from the exhibition, and how each artist has dealt with similar topics and themes in their work.

Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol and Ai Weiwei tackling similar topics

Ai Weiwei