A major art show by world renown artist and social activist, Ai Weiwei, is currently taking place on Alcatraz Island. A critic of human rights violations by the Communist Party, Weiwei's passport has been confiscated by the Chinese government and banned him from traveling outside of China. He is literally under house arrest in Beijing.
In collaboration with arts organizations in San Francisco, a major exhibition entitled @Large Ai Weiwei has been installed on Alcatraz with the theme of human rights violations and repression of speech occurring worldwide.
I've been a fan of Ai Weiwei and actually never been on Alcatraz Island before. A trip to Alcatraz to see a Weiwei show was knocking off two gulls with one stone.
I joined four other contemporary art enthusiasts and friends - Peter Saucerman, Susan Twining, Tom Graham and Lisa Foster on an outing to San Francisco. Peter, Susan and I took the Capitol Corridor train to Oakland and met Tom and Lisa at the ferry terminal.
We caught a couple ferry hops from Oakland to Fisherman's Wharf and to Alcatraz Island. Taking public transit - trains and ferrys - has become common practice and a fun way of traveling to the Bay Area.
To view the album of our day at Alcatraz, click on "Ai Weiwei Exhibit at Alcatraz" below photo:
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| From Ai Weiwei Exhibit at Alcatraz |
