Ai Weiwei is best known as an artist, activist and publicfigure. But he is almost unique in the way he glides acrossdisciplinary boundaries: into architecture, design, collectingand curating. In Spring 2023, a retrospective on Ai Weiweiwill open at the Design Museum. This is the first majorexhibition and accompanying catalogue to examine Ai'srelationship to design, architecture and the city. It exploreshis fascination with ordinary objects, from clothes hangersto cosmetic packaging, and his practice as a collector.Opening with a conversation between architect EyalWeizman and Ai Weiwei, and featuring commissioned essaysby leading experts in the fields of design and architecture, thebook explores urgent and contemporary themes which arerecurrent in Ai's work, such as rapid urban development, thepreservation of craft, and global manufacturing.The book is divided into four chapters that definesome of the major preoccupations of Ai's work, andincludes some of his most famous works, like Through'and Study in Perspective', as well as highlighting newand never-before-seen pieces exclusively made for theexhibition at the Design Museum.