Ai Weiwei to re-enact his own incarceration over 24 hours at Aviva Studios

Ai Weiwei will mark the 15th anniversary of his secret detention in China with a unique 24-hour performance in Manchester, reenacting the experience live for the first time.

Sewing a Button is the artist’s first durational performance work, beginning at 5pm on Friday 3 July and running through until 5pm on Saturday 4 July. Across the full day and night, audiences will be able to watch Ai Weiwei sleep, eat, exercise, write, wash and be interrogated inside a recreation of the cell in which he was held for 81 days by Public Security in 2011.

Built inside the Hall at Aviva Studios, the cell measures 7.2m by 3.6m and has been created by Hawkins\Brown. A cast of nine actors will play military guards and doctors, while a series of guest interrogators will appear throughout the performance, including Nihal Arthanayake, Emma Dabiri, Lemn Sissay and Zing Tsjeng.

Manchester and Berlin-based electronic duo Space Afrika will also appear overnight for a live-mixing slot, bringing another layer to a performance that moves between surveillance, memory, exhaustion and endurance.

Audiences can book into two-hour slots across the 24 hours, each offering a different part of the experience. Interrogation Hours will see guards observe Ai Weiwei as he goes through daily tasks while a special security team questions him. Reflection Hours follow the more intense periods of interrogation, as the artist prepares for sleep or spends time reflecting. Dreaming Hours take place overnight, with Ai Weiwei sleeping while guards, and the audience, continue to watch.

There is also the option to book for the full 24-hour experience, with audiences able to leave and re-enter the space. During the performance, visitors will be able to see Ai Weiwei through three CCTV cameras set up in the Hall, mirroring the constant observation of the guards during his detention.

Sewing a Button is part of Ai Weiwei: Button Up!, the largest site-specific exhibition by the artist, which runs from 2 July to 6 September 2026. For the first time at Aviva Studios, audiences will be able to access the exhibition across 24 hours to coincide with the performance, with free activities taking place through the night in the building’s public spaces. A traditional Chinese tea house will also remain open throughout.