ai weiwei’s installation unveils spheres with uniforms in ukraine

Spherical installation by ai weiwei at pavilion 13 in ukraine

Ai Weiwei reveals his recent installation, Three Perfectly Proportioned Spheres and Camouflage Uniforms Painted White, for the Pavilion 13 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Commissioned by RIBBON International, the major and large-scale artwork remains on-site between September 14th and November 30th, 2025. The building, renovated in 2025 by ФОРМА and RIBBON International and home to the Pavilion of Culture, becomes the temporary platform for the artist’s response to the ongoing war in Ukraine. It consists of three mathematically precise spheres wrapped in camouflage uniforms, which he handpainted in white with his team.

The artwork is both a sculpture and a political statement, constructed within Kyiv’s Pavilion 13 during the active conflict period. Ai Weiwei’s installation in Ukraine references Leonardo da Vinci’s De Divina Proportione. The mathematical precision of the spheres represents rational order and Renaissance humanism, while the camouflage clothing interprets the ongoing conflict outside of the pavilion. The artist suggests cognitive dissonance: while the spheres stand for harmony, precision, and logical systems of humans, the painted uniforms bring forth the symbols of war and actual conflict taking place in the country.

all images courtesy of RIBBON International | photo by Dmytro Prutkin

Evolution from the artist’s work, Five Raincoats Holding a Star

Ai Weiwei took research trips throughout Ukraine for his installation inside Pavilion 13 with the organization RIBBON International. The process allowed him to gather firsthand accounts and experiences from frontline soldiers, civilians, and even medical professionals on-site that ultimately shaped his textile-based, large-scale artwork. In his sculptural work, the artist grounds the work within Western art historical traditions all the while commenting on their relevance to contemporary crises. The decision to exhibit in Kyiv during active conflict is an undertaking that shows logistical and security challenges that the artist has overcome to make powerful statements about art’s role during wartime. The installation in Ukraine named Three Perfectly Proportioned Spheres and Camouflage Uniforms Painted White is Ai Weiwei’s evolution from his earlier work Five Raincoats Holding a Star.

It reaffirms his sustained engagement with themes of protection, visibility, and political symbolism. In the earlier work, the raincoat acted as protection from natural elements, while the current camouflage fabric addresses human-created dangers. The showcasing fits inside Pavilion 13 where the building’s glass walls – originally constructed in 1967 to showcase Soviet Ukrainian industrial achievements – now frame the sculpture’s responses to current conflict, and passersby immediately see it from the outside, claiming a visible reminder of the country’s present situation. Ai Weiwei’s installation Three Perfectly Proportioned Spheres and Camouflage Uniforms Painted White is on view in Kyiv, Ukraine, between September 14th and November 30th, 2025.

Ai Weiwei reveals installation, Three Perfectly Proportioned Spheres and Camouflage Uniforms Painted White