Fifteen years after his detention by Chinese authorities, artist Ai Weiwei will reenact his 81-day imprisonment in a 24-hour endurance performance titled *Sewing a Button* on July 3 at Manchester’s Aviva Studios, home of Factory International. The performance, his first durational work, will take place inside a replica of his 25.92 square-meter cell designed by architecture firm Hawkins\Brown, featuring interrogations by four journalists, military guards played by actors, a soundscape by electronic duo Space Afrika, and a 24-hour tea house. The event coincides with his forthcoming exhibition at the venue and will be livestreamed on Factory International’s website and screened at venues including the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, ARTHAUS Buenos Aires, and London’s Piccadilly Circus via CIRCA.
This performance matters because Ai Weiwei remains one of China’s most prominent government critics, and his reenactment directly confronts state repression and unlawful detention, themes he says have become globally relevant. By staging the work in real time and in person for the first time, Ai transforms personal trauma into a public, participatory act of witness, challenging censorship and amplifying his long-standing critique of authoritarian power. The event also marks a significant moment for Factory International, as Aviva Studios stays open all night for the first time, underscoring the institution’s commitment to ambitious, politically engaged contemporary art.