Artist and activist Ai Weiwei – known for his provocative exploration of human rights, as seen in an ongoing retrospective in Seattle, as well as his ability to capture the imagination with large-scale works, such as a Lego take on Claude Monet’s Water Lilies – is set to unveil a new public outdoor installation in New York this September, at Franklin D Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park.
The installation is part of a new project by Four Freedoms Park Conservancy, titled Art X Freedom, which sees artists commissioned to create site-specific works that investigate issues around social justice and freedom.
Ai Weiwei’s new public installation coming to Four Freedoms State Park
Aerial view of Franklin D Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park, looking west
Ai’s installation, titled Camouflage, will launch the project on 10 September 2025, aligned with the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, and the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly.
The artist looked to the park’s location and history for inspiration. It was designed by American modernist Louis Kahn, and is located on Roosevelt Island, a stone’s throw from the UN heaquarters, just across the river. The park was built to commemorate the legacy of president Roosevelt through a lens of contemporary art and culture.
Ai’s installation is intended to provoke thoughts around vulnerability and protection, while questioning the relationship between truth and concealment. It will take the form of a large structure draped in camouflage netting in an open sanctuary. Howard Axel, CEO of Four Freedoms Park Conservancy, said, ‘Artists have paved the way in activism and advocacy throughout history. Art X Freedom amplifies this work by inviting contemporary artists to re-envision FDR’s freedoms for future generations by realising major new public artworks.’
Camouflage by Ai Weiwei will remain on view at the park through 1 December 2025, fdrfourfreedomspark.org
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