Ai Weiwei Adds Porcelain "Blossom" Installation to "@Large" Exhibition on Alcatraz Island
A rusted, squalid sink, toilet and bathtub formerly used by hospitalized prisoners now serve as a







A rusted, squalid sink, toilet and bathtub formerly used by hospitalized prisoners now serve as a part of Ai Weiwei’s latest installation “Blossom.” The Chinese artist/activist has filled each fixture with an abundance of porcelain flowers, bringing an artistic delicacy to the defunct objects. Interpretations have suggested a political undertone behind the floral arrangement, namely a reference to China’s 1956 “Hundred Flowers Campaign,” in which the government briefly allowed free expression on the communist regime that was then cut short by a crackdown on dissidents.
“Blossom” is a part of WeiWei’s art exhibition @Large at Alcatraz Island in San Francisco, which will run until April 26, 2015.