I finally made it to the groundbreaking exhibition, @Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz just before it ended! This island penitentiary (having imprisoned civil war political prisoners, conscientious objectors in WWI, and being occupied by Native American protestors) was the perfect site to work with themes of personal freedom, freedom of expression and concerns with political oppression.
![Alcatraz April 21, 2015 Alcatraz April 21, 2015](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Alcatraz-April-21-photo-Marie-Cameron-2015.jpg)
When San Francisco’s For-Site Executive Director, Cheryl Haines (and @Large Curator) had approached internationally acclaimed artist, Ai WeiWei in his confinement in China with the idea of exhibiting at Alcatraz, it was a perfect fit. Ai Weiwei was able to work remotely from his studio in Beijing developing and directing this site-specific installation.
![Visiting @Large Visiting @Large](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Marie-Cameron-visiting-Ai-Wei-Wei-At-Large-Alcatraz-2015.jpg)
With Wind was an installation of handmade painted kites made of paper, silk and bamboo that wound its way through one of the main factory floors of the New Industries Building on Alcatraz in which inmates used to work in laundry or manufacturing. The kites, a symbol of soaring freedom, delicate and fragile (like us) are able to reach great heights with wind, the wind being a metaphor for our voices. Interestingly, the word akasha in Sanskrit, which means open space and sky, is also associated with wind and voice. These kites, especially the dragon, seemed barely contained in this space and there was a sense of optimism implicit in their bright colors and imagery of massing birds. The dragon’s head was oriented to an open door, primed for escape and emblazoned with Ai Weiwei’s name in it’s brows and Twitter icons on it’s eyes. Throughout the length of the dragon there were quotes from prisoners of conscience.
![Mouth of the dragon. Mouth of the dragon.](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Ai-WeiWei-At-Large-on-Alcatraz-With-Wind-mouth-of-the-dragon-photo-Marie-Cameron-2015.jpg)
Twitter Icon pupils and flaming Ai weiwei brows featured on the Dragon’s Head.
![Dragon head Dragon head](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Ai-WeiWei-At-Large-on-Alcatraz-With-Wind-hand-made-kites-dragon-head-view-2-photo-Marie-Cameron-2015.jpg)
![Dragon head (side view) Dragon head (side view)](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Ai-WeiWei-At-Large-on-Alcatraz-With-Wind-hand-made-kites-dragon-head-side-view-photo-Marie-Cameron-2015.jpg)
![Entrance Entrance](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Ai-WeiWei-At-Large-on-Alcatraz-With-Wind-hand-made-kites-entrance-photo-Marie-Cameron-2015.jpg)
The dragon positioned to fly out the open door.
![Winding overhead Winding overhead](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Ai-WeiWei-At-Large-on-Alcatraz-With-Wind-hand-made-kites-winding-overhead-photo-Marie-Cameron-2015.jpg)
![My words are innocent and well intended My words are innocent and well intended](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Ai-WeiWei-At-Large-on-Alcatraz-With-Wind-Hand-made-dragon-kite-My-words-are-innocent-and-well-intended-photo-Marie-Cameron-2015..jpg)
“My words are well intended and innocent.” – Lê Quôc Quân
![Out Disgusting Dictator Out Disgusting Dictator](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Ai-WeiWei-At-Large-on-Alcatraz-With-Wind-Hand-made-dragon-kite-Out-Disgusting-Dictatoe-photo-Marie-Cameron-2015.jpg.jpg)
“Ze Du Out Disgusting Dictator.” – Nito Alves
![Privacy…is a function of Liberty Privacy…is a function of Liberty](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Ai-WeiWei-At-Large-on-Alcatraz-With-Wind-Hand-made-dragon-kite-Privacy…is-a-function-of-Liberty-photo-Marie-Cameron-2015.jpg)
“…privacy is a function of liberty.” – Edward Snowden
![Potential Convict Potential Convict](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Ai-WeiWei-At-Large-on-Alcatraz-With-Wind-Hand-made-dragon-kite-Potential-Convict-photo-Marie-Cameron-2015.jpg)
“Everyone of us is a potential Convict: – Ai Weiwei
![Hand made kites - bird Hand made kites - bird](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Ai-WeiWei-At-Large-on-Alcatraz-With-Wind-hand-made-kites-bird-photo-Marie-Cameron-2015.jpg)
Traditional hand made kites are still being crafted in Beijing. I was luck enough to visit one such shop, Three Stones Kite Store, in 2008 and took home a silk swallow, which represents the city. Here Ai Weiwie has had his birds painted with his own imagery.
![Wing detail Wing detail](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Ai-WeiWei-At-Large-on-Alcatraz-With-Wind-hand-made-kites-wing-detail-photo-Marie-Cameron-2015.jpg)
Birds taking wing, flocking together, flowers blossoming.
![Hand made kites - star and cranes Hand made kites - star and cranes](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Ai-WeiWei-At-Large-on-Alcatraz-With-Wind-hand-made-kites-star-and-cranes-photo-Marie-Cameron-2015.jpg)
![Hand made kites - double bird Hand made kites - double bird](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Ai-WeiWei-At-Large-on-Alcatraz-With-Wind-hand-made-kites-double-bird-photo-Marie-Cameron-2015.jpg)
![Hand made kites - double bird detail Hand made kites - double bird detail](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Ai-WeiWei-At-Large-on-Alcatraz-With-Wind-hand-made-kites-double-bird-detail-photo-Marie-Cameron-2015.jpg)
There is a Chinese legend that goes back to 559 AD when two brothers flew from a dungeon by sitting on a kite one of them had made to rescue his brother. I wonder if this two headed bird is associated with that story?
![Hand made kites - double birds Hand made kites - double birds](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Ai-WeiWei-At-Large-on-Alcatraz-With-Wind-hand-made-kites-double-birds-photo-Marie-Cameron-2015.jpg)
![Hand made kites as seen through gun gallery. Hand made kites as seen through gun gallery.](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Ai-WeiWei-At-Large-on-Alcatraz-With-Wind-Hand-made-kites-as-seen-through-gun-gallery-photo-Marie-Cameron-2015.jpg)
Kites seen through the gun gallery.
![Head of dragon kite as seen through gun gallery. Head of dragon kite as seen through gun gallery.](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Ai-WeiWei-At-Large-on-Alcatraz-With-Wind-Head-of-dragon-kite-as-seen-through-gun-gallery-photo-Marie-Cameron-2015.jpg)
Last glimpse of the dragon kite though the gun gallery where most of the glass was either broken or missing.