Renowned Chinese artist Ai Weiwei is set to unveil a monumental new installation at Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park on Roosevelt Island in New York City. The installation, titled “Camouflage,” will transform the park into a contemplative sanctuary draped in camouflage netting, marking both Weiwei’s return to New York and the launch of a new public art initiative called Art X Freedom.
Opening on September 10 to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, “Camouflage” will allow visitors to contribute hand-written reflections on freedom, tying them to the fabric of the work in a gesture of collective memory and resistance. The installation will be on view on site through December 1, 2025. Weiwei described the project as “a personal commentary on what is unfolding politically and culturally in our time.” At the center of the piece will be a towering architectural structure rising above the bust of FDR, cloaked in mesh and inscribed with a stark Ukrainian proverb about the dual nature of war.
The installation won’t showcase standard issue camo, but instead will feature a custom animal-print version boasting cats, a nod to a rescue center located near the park.
Camouflage installation at Roosevelt Island
“I didn’t want to use conventional military camouflage, because I find it personally repulsive,” the artist stated.
Art X Freedom, the new program from the Four Freedoms Park Conservancy that commissioned the installation, invites artists to explore themes of liberty, human rights, and justice. It’s the first initiative of its kind to activate a presidential memorial as a platform for forward-looking contemporary expression. Future commissions will be awarded through an open call, with a $25,000 prize and realization support for the winning artist.
The program has allotted an annual budget of about $250,000 for works that transform the park. Agnes Gund, philanthropist and co-chair of the initiative, stated, “Public art is a mirror to our times. Art X Freedom speaks to the urgent need to protect freedom for all, including freedom of speech, expression, and the right to dissent – values that are the bedrock of democracy and justice.”
Allison Binns, venture capitalist and co-chair alongside Gund, added, “Ai Weiwei is globally renowned for his provocative and thought-provoking body of work and his staunch and unwavering advocacy for human rights.
We could not have found a more perfect partner or resonant project to help us introduce Art X Freedom to the world and inspire park visitors.”
