Renowned Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has unveiled a striking new installation titled "Three Perfectly Proportioned Spheres and Camouflage Uniforms Painted White" at Pavilion 13 in Kyiv, Ukraine. The large-scale artwork, commissioned by RIBBON International, will remain on display from September 14th through November 30th, 2025, serving as both a powerful sculpture and a political statement addressing the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The installation consists of three mathematically precise spheres wrapped in camouflage uniforms that Ai Weiwei and his team hand-painted white. The artwork is housed within Pavilion 13, a building that was renovated in 2025 by ФОРМА and RIBBON International and currently serves as home to the Pavilion of Culture. This venue has become a temporary platform for the artist's direct response to the war affecting Ukraine.
Ai Weiwei's latest work draws inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci's "De Divina Proportione," creating a deliberate contrast between order and chaos. The mathematical precision of the spheres represents rational order and Renaissance humanism, embodying concepts of harmony, precision, and logical human systems. Meanwhile, the camouflage clothing directly references the ongoing conflict occurring outside the pavilion walls, creating what the artist describes as cognitive dissonance between peaceful ideals and the harsh reality of war.
The creation of this installation involved extensive research by Ai Weiwei, who took multiple trips throughout Ukraine in collaboration with RIBBON International. During these visits, he gathered firsthand accounts and experiences from frontline soldiers, civilians, and medical professionals working in the conflict zone. These encounters ultimately shaped his textile-based, large-scale artwork and informed his artistic response to the crisis.
This Ukrainian installation represents an evolution from Ai Weiwei's earlier work "Five Raincoats Holding a Star," demonstrating his continued engagement with themes of protection, visibility, and political symbolism. While the earlier piece featured raincoats as protection from natural elements, the current work uses camouflage fabric to address human-created dangers and violence. This progression shows the artist's sustained commitment to addressing contemporary political and social issues through his art.
The decision to exhibit this work in Kyiv during active conflict presented significant logistical and security challenges that Ai Weiwei overcame to make a powerful statement about art's role during wartime. The installation is strategically positioned within Pavilion 13, where the building's glass walls—originally constructed in 1967 to showcase Soviet Ukrainian industrial achievements—now frame the sculpture's response to current conflict. Passersby can immediately see the artwork from outside, creating a visible reminder of the country's present situation.
By grounding his sculptural work within Western art historical traditions while commenting on their relevance to contemporary crises, Ai Weiwei continues to challenge viewers to consider the intersection of art, politics, and human conflict. The installation at Pavilion 13 serves as both an artistic achievement and a testament to the power of creative expression in times of war, remaining accessible to the public through November 30th, 2025.
