New York, N.Y. — Renowned Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei is set to unveil his first major public artwork in New York City since 2017 this September, as he brings a monumental installation titled Camouflage to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park on Roosevelt Island across from the United Nations.
The project, which marks the launch of the Art X Freedom initiative by the Four Freedoms Park Conservancy, will activate the entire 3.5-acre memorial with a bold, participatory vision of freedom and reflection.
A New Chapter for Public Art in New York
Launching on September 10, 2025, Camouflage aligns with the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, both significant milestones for the city and the world. The installation will remain on view through December 1, 2025, inviting New Yorkers and visitors alike to engage with the park’s legacy and the urgent questions of our time.
Art and Architecture Intertwined
Ai Weiwei’s installation is conceived in direct dialogue with the park’s modernist design by Louis Kahn and its symbolic location across from the United Nations headquarters.
The artwork will transform the park’s iconic granite embankments and the bust of FDR with sweeping camouflage netting and metal scaffolding, creating an open sanctuary that explores themes of vulnerability, protection, and the duality of truth and concealment.
The camouflage pattern, reimagined with animal imagery and playful cat motifs, nods to both the history of Roosevelt Island as a sanctuary for wildlife and the artist’s signature lighthearted commentary.
Atop the sanctuary, visitors will find a traditional Ukrainian proverb reflecting on the complexities of war: “For some people, war is war, for others, war is the dear mother,” highlighting the installation’s global perspective.
Participation and Reflection at the Heart
What sets Camouflage apart is its participatory nature. Visitors are invited to write their own reflections on freedom on ribbons and attach them to the netting, turning the installation into a living, collective act of remembrance and hope. This immersive approach echoes Ai Weiwei’s longstanding commitment to human rights and social justice, encouraging each person to consider the meaning of freedom in their own lives.
A Vision for the Future of Memorials
The Art X Freedom initiative, with an annual budget of $250,000 for transformative public artworks, aims to reimagine the FDR memorial as a space not only for remembrance but also for contemporary dialogue and activism. Each commissioned artist, including Ai Weiwei, receives a $25,000 award, underscoring the program’s commitment to supporting visionary creators.
Leaders behind the initiative, including venture capitalist Allison Binns and philanthropist Agnes Gund, emphasize the importance of keeping Roosevelt’s legacy relevant for new generations. “Public art is a mirror to our times,” Gund noted, while Binns highlighted the opportunity to “reimagine a presidential memorial that often reflects on the past into something that remains relevant and forward-thinking.”
A Celebration of Freedom in New York
The Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park, located at the southern tip of Roosevelt Island, stands as a testament to the four essential human freedoms articulated by FDR: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. Ai Weiwei’s Camouflage promises to infuse this iconic site with new energy, inviting all who visit to engage physically, intellectually, and emotionally with the concept of freedom.
As New York prepares to welcome this landmark installation, the city reaffirms its role as a global center for art, activism, and the ongoing pursuit of liberty.
Renown Chinese Arts Ai Weiwei at FDR Memorial in New York (May 1, 2025)
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Tags: Ai Weiwei, FDR Four Freedoms Park, Roosevelt Island, New York City, public art, Art X Freedom, contemporary art, human rights, activism, Franklin D. Roosevelt, memorial, installation art
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