A sunny afternoon in March was the perfect time for an office field trip to see “@Large,” the Ai Weiwei exhibit on Alcatraz. We rode the noon ferry over to the island, and spent a few hours exploring the place, and viewing the exhibit.

Ai Weiwei designed and coordinated the installations without ever visiting the island. His pieces are meant to spur a dialogue on justice, liberty, and the tensions between governments and the individuals they represent. His installations are located across the island, including in some spaces that are not normally open to the public.

While Alcatraz has always presented conflicting experiences – expansive views of the bay, and constricting prison cells – Ai Weiwei’s work adds another layer of information, connecting the experience of political prisoners from countries across the world.

For our office, it was an opportunity to experience art in place as a group, and to soak up some inspiration from the beautiful area in which we work and live.