AGO
Ai Weiwei's traveling exhibit had just opened at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) last week. I had loved it so much when I saw it at the Hirschorn, and thought we should see it together. AGO is a short walk--and one Indian all you can eat buffet lunch--away from FanExpo. So, off we went ... The kids felt strongly about the exhibit--really engaged by the story of Weiwei's rebellion against the Chinese government after the Sichuan earthquake. I'll say that if anything, the impact of the works was magnified, not lessened, by a second viewing, especially with my kids along. And, then, of course, there's also such an element of fun in his work, which keeps the more powerful messages from being overwhelming. AGO was renovated and redesigned in 2008 by Frank Gehry (we actually went there first just after it reopened), and one of the most significant additions was this glorious long gallery filled with light and sculptural wood. It ...