Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei continues to position himself at the center of major global political events, most recently with a powerful new art installation in Kyiv, Ukraine. The world-renowned artist, born in Beijing in 1957, gained international fame not only for his provocative artwork but also for his political activism that led to his detention without charges in China for months in 2011. His most celebrated works include the photographic series "Study of Perspective" (1995-2017), featuring middle-finger salutes directed at famous landmarks, and his massive sunflower seed installation at London's Tate Modern in 2010.

Ai has recently unveiled a major new commission in Kyiv that will run until November 30. The single-work exhibition titled "Three Perfectly Proportioned Spheres and Camouflage Uniforms Painted White" features three spheres wrapped in camouflaged fabric decorated with animal images, with the fabric creating a connecting structure across all three spheres. According to Ribbon International, the non-profit cultural platform that commissioned the installation, the work serves as a site-specific response to the escalating armed conflicts threatening today's world.

In August, Ai traveled to the front lines of the war in eastern Ukraine near Kharkiv, where he met with Ukrainian fighters and cultural figures. During an interview from his studio in rural Portugal, Ai described his harrowing experiences witnessing modern warfare firsthand. "I went to Ukraine to see the [battle] fields and the drones. It's just shocking," he said. "Standing in the middle of the wheat fields I saw all those strange, strange objects. You see the bomb just landed in the fields in a suburb of Kyiv. You see [the field] is burnt. That's a Russian bomb."

The artist explained his mission to understand the Ukrainian people and their struggle. "I tried to do everything to understand this nation—what are they fighting for, who they're fighting with, and how they maintain this idea of dignity and protect their national pride. It is so harsh. I went to the front—the most dangerous front line. Now over 90% of casualties in war are carried out by drones; this is modern warfare." Ai even collected a piece of shrapnel from a bomb or missile, which he combined with a piece of jade from the Han Dynasty, creating a powerful juxtaposition between ancient artifacts and modern destruction.

During his visit, Ai performed what he described as a ceremonial act by planting sunflower seeds and buttons in a field in Kharkiv. "It seems ridiculous," he acknowledged. "When you witness a serious act, you don't always realize the meaning behind it. I just think I have to act out a ceremony; you have to find a way to manage your emotions because you're getting too serious." He spoke fondly of the Ukrainian people he met, describing them as "very sincere" and noting that "they desperately need people to understand their situation, but at the same time they really see you as a friend."

The artist spent time in underground bunkers with Ukrainian soldiers, observing their drone operations in extremely dangerous conditions. When asked if he felt frightened, Ai responded with characteristic boldness: "Never. Nothing scares me anymore. I think you should be scared because it seems if you're not so scared, very often people think you're not sincere. I understand. But being scared and being sincere are not on the same level. I wanted to know what's really going on. How do they kill each other? Being terrified does not help."

Beyond the installation in Kyiv, Ai is creating another work called the "Sunflower Train," which will feature a sunflower painting made from Lego using Van Gogh's artistic vocabulary. The design will be wrapped around a Russian-type train with a Russian drawing on top. The train will travel to major railway stations throughout Ukraine, except those in occupied territories, allowing people to add elements and change the work's meaning as it moves. Inside the train will be a reproduction of the famous social realism painting "Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks" by Ukrainian-born Russian painter Ilya Repin, which Ai's father showed him when he was ten years old.

The centerpiece installation "Three Perfectly Proportioned Spheres and Camouflage Uniforms Painted White" is housed in Pavilion 13, a Soviet-era building in Kyiv that Ai describes as resembling a Mies van der Rohe structure. The military-style clothing encasing the spheres is decorated with cats and painted white, creating a complex statement about war and peace. "It is a highly political statement about war and peace, rationality and irrationality," Ai explained. "We need to have peace to guarantee the integrity of the people. Because otherwise it's not peace. Peace is not slavery."

Ai's current life reflects his ongoing exile from China, splitting his time between Portugal, Berlin, and Cambridge over the past five years. He hasn't seen his 92-year-old mother in ten years but plans to return to China despite potential risks. "I don't see the next step very often. I make some big decisions but cannot say what will come after. I enjoy just making one move—a solid move," he said. When asked about the possibility of arrest upon return, he remained characteristically resolute.

The artist also addressed controversies surrounding his previous statements about global conflicts, including a deleted tweet about the Israel-Hamas war that drew accusations of antisemitism. "I did what I should. And that sacrifice is very little compared to all of the lives lost and compared to those children who cannot talk about the future. They don't even exist. What I did is nothing," he stated. He emphasized that freedom of speech remains "an essential element for human beings" and "the value most worth fighting for," despite the personal costs he has faced.

Regarding the situation in Hong Kong and China's growing authoritarianism, Ai expressed a sense of loss, noting that people he interviewed for his 2020 film "Cockroach" have all ended up in jail. He criticized film festivals for refusing to show his documentaries about Hong Kong and the pandemic due to China's influence as the largest film market. "China has a long-term strategy, it's playing the long game," he observed.

Ai also voiced sharp criticism of Western cultural institutions operating in China despite ongoing human rights violations, including the reported detention of a million Uyghurs in camps. "I never have high expectations about [such] museums. The culture sector in the West is pretty corrupt. If you don't fight for truth, how can you show moral justice—this is crazy," he concluded. His Ukrainian exhibition continues through November 30 at the Expo Center of Ukraine in Kyiv, serving as both an artistic statement and a testament to his unwavering commitment to bearing witness to global injustices.