Oct 03 2014

Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz

by Hanae Ko

On September 27, 2014, seven site-specific installations by Ai Weiwei debuted on San Francisco’s Alcatraz Island. Installed across four locations on the historic site, the all-new works, including sculptures, sound art and mixed-media installations, focus on themes of human rights and freedom of expression. The installations are part of the exhibition “@ Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz,” inspired by the island’s past—as a military fortress in the 19th century, a notorious federal penitentiary in the early to mid-20th century, and a significant site of Native American activist history—as well its present role as one of the most visited national parks in the United States. The artworks in “@ Large” explore the social issues of incarceration and the definitions of liberty, justice and human rights, by looking at various people’s experiences, as well as Ai’s own struggles for freedom as an artist in China. Incidentally, Ai could not physically visit Alcatraz—with his passport still in the hands of the Chinese government, as a result of his arrest for alleged tax fraud in 2011—so all of the works were developed in his Beijing studio and assembled at Alcatraz by the For-Site Foundation (the organizers of the exhibition), local volunteers, and members of Amnesty International.

A few days prior to the official opening of the exhibition, ArtAsiaPacific boarded a ferry from San Francisco to Alcatraz Island to see a preview of the show. Here’s a look at Ai’s new installations in “@Large.”

The ferry terminal at Alcatraz Island, adorned with a banner for “@Large.” Visible in the background is a signage from when the site was a federal prison (in the 1930s through to the ‘60s), and graffiti from when Native American tribes had occupied the island, to protest their civil rights, during the 1960s. All photos by Hanae Ko.

Exterior view of Alcatraz Island, San Francisco, with the Golden Gate Bridge on it’s left.

AI WEIWEI’s Blossom (2014), in which ceramic flowers are placed inside several sinks, toilets and tubs in Alcatraz’s hospital ward cells. These sinister bouquets of numerous small flowers are an ironic reference to China’s “Hundred Flowers Campaign” of 1956, a brief period of government tolerance of free expression, which was immediately followed by a severe crackdown against dissent.

AI WEIWEI’s Refraction (2014), a monumental installation weighing more than five tons, is modeled after a bird’s wing and is composed of reflective panels originally used on Tibetan solar cookers. Located on the lower floor, it can only be viewed from an above corridor, positioning the visitor in the role of the prison guard.

AI WEIWEI’s Trace (2014), a floor installation of more than 175 portraits constructed from LEGO bricks, depicting individuals who have been imprisoned or exiled because of his or her beliefs, actions, or affiliations.

AI WEIWEI’s Trace (detail, 2014), comprising 175 portraits made from LEGO bricks, depicting prisoners of conscience from around the world. Included is Chinese human rights activist Liu Xiaobo, who called for political reforms and the end of communist single-party rule. He is currently incarcerated as a political prisoner in Jinzhou, China.

AI WEIWEI’s With Wind (2014), a large-scale installation located in a building once used for prison labor, which features a contemporary version of the traditional Chinese dragon kite. The multipart kite was handmade by Chinese artisans in collaboration with Ai’s studio. Trapped inside a building, unable to fly, the kite suggests the contradiction of freedom and restriction.

Parts of AI WEIWEI’s With Wind (2014) is adorned with quotes by renowned political activists. Seen here is a quote by Irom Sharmila Chanu, a civil rights activist from India, who has been on a hunger strike, in protest of the Indian armed forces’ abuse of power, since 2000.

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