@Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz (September 27, 2014 through April 26, 2015)
PROJECT OVERVIEW
The Chinese artist Ai Weiwei is internationally renowned for work that defies the distinction between art and activism. In "@Large," an exhibition of new work created specifically for Alcatraz, Ai responds to the island's layered legacy as a 19th-century military fortress, a notorious federal penitentiary, a site of Native American heritage and protest, and now one of America's most visited national parks. Revealing new perspectives on Alcatraz, Ai's sculpture, sound, and mixed-media installations have turned the iconic prison into a space for dialogue about freedom of expression and human rights for more than 500,000 visitors to date. A vocal critic of his nation's government, Ai was detained by Chinese authorities for 81 days in 2011, and is still not permitted to travel outside China. The artist was unable to visit Alcatraz during exhibition planning. He developed artworks at his Beijing studio with the help of the FOR-SITE Foundation.