@Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz

With this exhibition of new works created specifically for Alcatraz, renowned Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei responds to the island’s layered history as a 19th-century military fortress, a notorious federal penitentiary, and a site of Native American heritage and protest. While revealing new perspectives on Alcatraz, the exhibition raises questions about freedom of expression and human rights that resonate far beyond this particular place. Balancing political impact with aesthetic grace, Ai’s sculptural, sound-based, and mixed-media installations address the plight of those who have been imprisoned for speaking out about their beliefs—people like Ai himself. A vocal critic of his nation’s government, Ai was detained by Chinese authorities in 2011, finally regaining his passport in 2015. As a result, he was unable to visit Alcatraz while planning the exhibition. “The purpose of art,” the artist has stated, “is the fight for freedom.” The project is featured in FOR-SITE’s debut documentary film, Ai Weiwei: Yours Truly.