Hundreds of bicycles make-up Ai Weiwei's latest sculpture for Italian gallery

“There are nine million bicycles in Beijing, that’s a fact,” sang Katie Melua a few years ago showing a blatant disregard for the meaning of the word fact. But here’s a Chinese-linked bicycle fact for for you, there are 760 bicycles in Ai Weiwei’s latest sculpture at the Galleria Continua in San Gimignano, Italy. The extraordinary walk-through piece on a raised stage in the gallery references some of the iconic artist’s previous work and questions our relationship with mobility, consumerism and mass manufacture. Put that in your pipe and smoke it Melua!

Mostre in Corso runs until February 16.