Chinese artist Ai Weiwei unveils new London show

[October 12, 2010]  LONDON (AP) -- Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has unveiled his new installation at Britain's Tate Modern -- a huge room filled with over 100 million sunflower seeds.

Visitors are invited to walk across the surface of the seeds, which were made of porcelain by thousands of workers in China.

The 53-year-old artist used more than 150 tons of the seeds to carpet the museum's Turbine Hall. Ten other artists had been commissioned to work with the 1,000-square meter space before Ai.

Chief curator Sheena Wagstaff described the new work Monday as a "beautifully simple idea that belies an extraordinary rich layer of meanings and references."

[Associated Press]

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