One of the world's most influential contemporary artists is returning to Australia. Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei has been commissioned to create a new sculpture for the lawn outside Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), set to be unveiled this September.
For now, exactly what the sculpture will look like is under wraps, with the MCA revealing only that the commission will be "one of the most thought provoking and impactful public art works presented in Australia this year." And it will be hard to miss, taking up prime position on the Tallawoladah Lawn overlooking Sydney Harbour and the Opera House.
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The sculpture continues the MCA's major public art commission
Ai Weiwei is the second artist selected for the annual Neil Balnaves Tallawoladah Lawn Commission, which was established to bring internationally renowned artists to one of Australia's most recognisable public spaces. The initiative was made possible through a $3 million philanthropic gift from the late television executive and arts patron Neil Balnaves, which will support a series of free public commissions through to 2028.
Hamish Balnaves, the chief executive of The Balnaves Foundation, told Sydney Morning Herald: “Ai Weiwei exemplifies everything this commission stands for: his practice challenges us to think deeply about humanity, power, and responsibility. We are proud to support a work that will speak to audiences from all walks of life in such a significant place. This commission honours my father Neil Balnaves’ belief that art should be ambitious, accessible to all, and capable of shaping how we see the world.”
The first commission in the series was unveiled in 2025, a towering bust titled 'Ancient Feelings' by British sculptor Thomas J. Price.
In sharing the news, MCA Director Suzanne Cotter told SMH, “Ai Weiwei is an artist whose voice resonates far beyond the art world. This commission will be an important moment for Sydney – ambitious in scale, profound in message, and bound to engage everyone who visits this iconic location.”
It's another major Australian work for Ai Weiwei
Many Australians are likely already familiar with Ai Weiwei's work. In 2018, as part of the Biennale of Sydney, he presented 'Law of the Journey' at Cockatoo Island. This was an oversized black inflatable lifeboat crowded with hundreds of faceless refugee figures, designed to reflect on the humanitarian consequences of this kind of displacement. It went on to become one of the exhibition's most memorable works.
While details around his sculpture are a mystery, we can expect a work that is similarly visually commanding and intellectually provocative.
For more local art news, read our latest guide to all the Australian exhibitions currently taking place.
