‘Trace’ Ai Weiwei@Large

Image courtesy of New York Times

Ai Weiwei stands as an artist of exceptional personal integrity whose story is an extraordinary one to say the least.

I’ve admired his work and practice since I first saw some installation shots in 1999.

This year sees him installing works in the notorious Alcatraz prison as part of the @Large exhibition organized by For-Site. His installation ‘Trace’ consists of 176 portraits of political exiles and prisoners of conscience put together using a staggering 1.2 million Lego pieces. Out of the things that so many children have used to build and manipulate imaginative scenarios and environments Ai Weiwei constructs a tableau that serves to remind us of those who have either been imprisoned or exiled for actively resisting or exposing the wiles of oppressive regimes.

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