Ai Weiwei at Alcatraz

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei knows about political censorship firsthand.  The winner of the 2012 Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent from the Human Rights Foundation, he is suppressed by his own government for his creative expression; Weiwei is not allowed to leave China for speaking out against its policies.  From his home in Beijing, he created an art exhibition for San Francisco's infamous former prison, Alcatraz.  

On a rocky island in the middle of the San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz is often colder and windier than the city and its surrounding area.  It feels like a desolate place, and has held many criminals - including the infamous Al Capone.  While Weiwei's exhibit uses themes of incarceration and repression, he focuses on those who've been unjustly punished or imprisoned for their beliefs of freedom and equality.  

We went to visit the exhibit, which runs through April 26th, and would definitely recommend it - although not all of the visuals were as compelling as we had hoped, there is an incredible audio component, and the installations are thought provoking.

Learn more about visiting here.

We highly recommend this piece.  You can listen below: