Ai Weiwei Installation ‘Camouflage’ Coming This Fall
Get ready for something truly special, Roosevelt Island friends! This September, world-renowned artist and activist Ai Weiwei will debut a breathtaking new installation at Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park, and it’s unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.
Ai Weiwei Exhibit Debuts with ‘Camouflage’
The installation, called Camouflage, will open on September 10, 2025 — perfectly timed with the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. It’s also the very first commission from the park’s exciting new public art initiative, Art X Freedom.
Transforming the Park Experience with Art and Reflection
Camouflage will transform the entire 3.5-acre park into a beautiful and contemplative sanctuary. Ai Weiwei is designing a large open structure that will rise above the park’s iconic granite walls. It will be covered in custom camouflage netting featuring animal imagery, a heartfelt nod to Roosevelt Island’s history as a refuge for wildlife and abandoned pets.
At the heart of the installation, a powerful Ukrainian proverb will be inscribed: “For some people, war is war, for others, war is the dear mother.” It’s a moving reminder of how different our experiences of conflict can be.
Visit Ai Weiwei Park Installation and Share Your Voice
Visitors will also be invited to participate by writing their own reflections about freedom and tying them onto the netting. Over time, Camouflage will become a living, breathing tapestry of hope, resilience, and community voices.
This is Ai Weiwei’s first major public artwork in New York since 2017. It’s sure to be a must-see event for art lovers, history buffs, and anyone who treasures the spirit of Roosevelt Island.
Camouflage will be on view through December 1, 2025, so be sure to plan your visit! You can find more details and updates on the Four Freedoms Park Conservancy website here.
I can’t wait to see all of you at Ai Weiwei Park this fall, adding your voices to this amazing project. Let’s show the world how our little island shines!
— Erica O’Connell
The Line That Didn’t Land
I stood in the back of Good Shepherd Chapel on the evening of April 15, 2026, at the Steam Plant Demolition Town Hall, watching people adjust scarves and jackets before the meeting began. Benjamin Jones, President and CEO of RIOC, thanked us for attending and, without a pause, said he was “pleased to host tonight’s town hall on the city’s demolition of its steam plant.” The demolition, in other words, was not up for discussion.
