Artist and dissident Ai Weiwei will reenact his 81-day detention by China's Ministry of Public Security in a 24-hour performance titled "Sewing a Button" at Factory International's Aviva Studios in Manchester, England. The performance, part of his exhibition "Button Up!" running from July 2, 2025, will take place in a re-creation of his cell and involve Ai sleeping, eating, exercising, writing, washing, and being interrogated, with visitors able to book two-hour slots or a full 24-hour ticket. The work follows his earlier piece "S.A.C.R.E.D." (2013) and is joined by other commissioned works including "Eight-Nation Alliance Flags" and a new version of "History of Bombs."
This performance matters because it directly confronts state power and control, transforming a deeply personal trauma into a public, immersive experience that examines the relationship between individual suffering and geopolitical forces. By reenacting his detention in a highly demanding 24-hour format, Ai continues his long-standing practice of using his own body and biography to critique authoritarianism, while the broader exhibition contextualizes 200 years of British-Chinese relations. The work also represents a significant institutional commission for Factory International, bringing Ai's politically charged art to a major UK venue.