A new Ai Weiwei installation will cover Roosevelt Island in camouflage netting
World-renowned artist and activist Ai Weiwei is set to unveil 'Camouflage,' a monumental new installation at Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park that marks both his return to New York and the launch of a new public art initiative: 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 transform the park into a contemplative sanctuary draped in netting. Visitors will be able 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, whose past NYC installations famously targeted immigration policies and state surveillance, described the project to the New York Times as 'a personal commentary on what is unfolding politically and culturally in our time.' At the center of the piece: 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 your standard issue camo, but, instead, will feature a custom animal-print version boasting cats, a nod to a rescue center located near the park.
'I didn't want to use conventional military camouflage, because I find it personally repulsive,' the artist told the Times. 'We've all seen too much harm associated with that pattern—it's essentially a uniform that negates life.'
The installation is the inaugural commission of Art X Freedom, a new program from the Four Freedoms Park Conservancy that 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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
3 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
EIF: A powerful performance of Suor Angelica
Usher Hall, Edinburgh The bar has been set very high by previous concert performances of operas at the Edinburgh International Festival. Most recently there was last weekend's superb addition to the Scottish Chamber Orchestra's Mozart sequence, but also with Wagner in earlier years. The Usher Hall audience is accustomed to singers having memorised their roles and bringing their theatrical skills to the concert platform. The new Principal Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Antonio Pappano, and the dozen, mostly young, female voices from Covent Garden he brought for the last concert of the orchestra's residency at this year's Festival can perhaps be forgiven for not knowing that. Read More: With the proviso that the singers were, for the most part, restricted by being behind their music stands, there could be no complaints about their performances. Suor Angelica, the middle work of Puccini's Il Trittico, is enjoying a notable return to favour, with many staged performances. Its journey from the fun banter of the opening convent scene through the confrontation between the tragic titular figure and her imperious aunt, the Principessa, to the anguished liturgical dilemma of its conclusion was as powerful here. Carolina Lopez Moreno was vocally superb in the title role, which she paced with skill, leaving the revelation of the full power of her voice, secure at challenging pitch, until the opera's climax. The smaller roles of the other nuns were all characterfully portrayed by 10 singers, mostly recent graduates of the Royal Opera's Jette Parker emerging artists programme and a testament to the selection standard for that scheme. The one singer clearly 'off the book' – to the extent of dismissively pushing down the music stand nearest her at her first entrance – was Ukrainian mezzo Kseniia Nikolaieva as the Principessa. The Covid pandemic apparently denied us her Carmen for Scottish Opera, but here was a role for which she was as perfectly suited as our own Karen Cargill, with her richly-toned contralto voice. The dynamic exchange between herself and Morena's Angelica was ferociously intense. With Edinburgh Festival Chorus filling the choir stalls and these instrumentalists, led by former Scottish Chamber Orchestra leader Benjamin Marqise Gilmore, providing a gold-standard interpretation of Puccini's masterful orchestration, the evening was a perfect illustration of what Pappano is bringing to the LSO. The first half featured two stunning concert-openers: the youthful Puccini's Capriccio Sinfonico, with themes he would later repurpose on the opera stage, and the even rarer Juventus by 20th century Italian conductor/composer Victor de Sabata. For festival tickets see here
Metro
4 hours ago
- Metro
Period drama branded ‘fantastic' streaming on Netflix
The 2023 period drama All The Light We Cannot See is currently streaming on Netflix UK. The limited series tells the story of a blind French teenager Marie-Laure (Aria Mia Loberti) and a German soldier (Louis Hofmann) who attempt to weather the devastation of World War II together. It also stars Mark Ruffalo and Hugh Laurie in supporting roles, as Daniel and Etienne LeBlanc; Marie-Laure's father and uncle, respectively. Based on the Pulitzer prize winning novel by Anthony Doerr, it was picked up for adaptation by Netflix in 2019, with Free Guy filmmaker Shawn Levy attached to direct and Peaky Blinders writer Steven Knight on screenplay duties. All four episodes were first added to the streaming service in November 2023, where they remain to this day. Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. Since its release, viewers have responded to its emotional story and powerful performances from its leading pair. All The Light We Cannot See currently boasts an 81% positive audience score on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, with Asha B describing it as 'a show with substance and depth.' Meanwhile, user C W called it 'simply fantastic,' and 'a beautiful piece of storytelling.' 'Excellent series. Ruff also is fantastic and the cinematography is wonderful,' said Bad B. Helen W described it as: 'A beautiful story albeit told without compromise,' adding 'you should watch!' Critics were more divided on the adaptation, contributing to a 28% 'rotten' score,although most praised its production values and cinematography. 'All the Light We Cannot See starts off strong and will keep viewers engaged from the beginning until the very end,' wrote Ready Steady Cut. It's worth watching for Loberti's outstanding performance and the generally impressive production value,' said Paste Magazine, while bemoaning that it 'could have been so much more.' Meanwhile, NPR called it 'worthwhile and heartening.' The show marks the acting debut of Aria Mia Loberti, who is herself, legally blind. 'When you decide, as I did, to open up the casting process to low vision and legally blind contenders for this protagonist, who is herself blind, it's not like you can go the usual route,' director Levy told Town & Country Magazine. 'It's not like the talent agencies have filled their rosters with actors who are blind; it's not a big pool. That's why I opened it up with a global casting search announced in a blitz, and we got hundreds and hundreds of self-tapes from people who just filmed an audition on their laptop or their phone. 'Among those, I noticed one from a young woman named Aria Mia Loberti, and while at that point I didn't know anything about her, I knew that there was something about her that popped,' the Deadpool & Wolverine director added. 'What was difficult was being a first-time actress,' said Loberti of her debut performance. More Trending 'I had never been on a set before and that was the challenge. I brought a lot from my day-to-day life—my ballet training and martial arts training—with me to the stunts. 'I got to do all the stunts except for driving the car. Having Shawn as my guide was amazing and I am grateful to him for believing in me.' View More » All The Light We Cannot See is currently streaming on Netflix UK. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
Daily Mirror
10 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
BBC Breakfast host announces tragic death news in moving tribute to 'icon'
BBC Breakfast presenter Ben Boulos paid tribute to a World War II legend on Sunday A BBC Breakfast host announced tragic death news in a moving tribute to an "icon" on Sunday (August 17). During today's edition of the BBC morning show, presenters Ben Boulos and Luxmy Gopal brought viewers up to date with the latest headlines from across Britain and globally. They were accompanied in the studio by Helen Willetts, who provided regular weather updates, whilst Hugh Ferris delivered the sports round-up. Later in the programme, Ben revealed the passing of Britain's final surviving World War Two Victoria Cross holder, John Cruickshank. "Flight Lieutenant John Cruickshank earned the honour for an attack on a German U-Boat while piloting a Catalina flying boat in June 1944," Ben said, reports the Express. The 105-year-old from Aberdeen was the last to pass away of 181 individuals who were awarded the nation's highest military decoration for their actions during the war. A special feature by BBC correspondent Katie Hunter was subsequently broadcast, which examined John's contributions during the Second World War. "When Flight Lieutenant John Cruickshank was awarded the Victoria Cross, he was praised for his determination, fortitude and devotion to duty," Katie explained. "In 1944, Flight Lieutenant Cruickshank was the captain of a Catalina flying boat. While engaging a German U-boat over the Norweigan sea, he suffered 72 injuries. Despite that, he and his crew destroyed the submarine. His navigator, John Dixon, was killed." She went on to say: "John Cruickshank was a private man. In a 2008 interview with the BBC, he played down his actions." In the pre-recorded clip, John stated: "You don't get involved in that kind of thing thinking of any decorations or any recognition of any type. It was regarded as duty." Last year, a Catalina plane flew over John's home to commemorate 80 years since he was awarded the Victoria Cross. He marked the anniversary privately. John's friend of three decades, former RAF group captain John Kemp, said: "A very stoic aviator. A great RAF icon... He was an amazing character. Very quiet, a private person, but [he had an] excellent, terrific sense of humour. Great character." Katie concluded: "A modest man, a military man. A man whose actions are etched in history." John's family announced that he passed away last week and a private funeral would be held.
