Ai Weiwei, the renowned Chinese artist and activist, has been living in a secluded farm in the Portuguese countryside for the past six years. The site is a replica of his former Shanghai studio, which was controversially demolished in 2011. The space is described as a vast, empty area with no artwork on the walls, serving as both a retreat and a creative base for his latest project. Ai has been working on Mushrooms, an installation that is part of the Neil Balnaves Tallawoladah Lawn Commission at Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art. The piece features 500 identical cast iron sculptures of combat helmets arranged on an elevated platform, measuring 40 meters in length. The title draws on the visual similarity between mushroom caps and helmets, as well as the symbolic link between mushrooms—often associated with decay and death—and the fragility of life in times of war. Ai’s inspiration for Mushrooms originated from his 2015 documentary, Human Flow, which explored the global migrant crisis. During the film’s production, he studied the mechanics and munitions of modern warfare. He noted that when Russia threatened Ukraine in 2014, Germany offered 5,000 helmets to Ukraine, a gesture he interpreted as a sign of misunderstanding the nature of the conflict. Ai also visited Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines multiple times, documenting their experiences and planning to use the footage in a future film. These encounters shaped his perspective on the realities of war and the human cost behind such decisions. Ai emphasized that Mushrooms was also influenced by its location in Sydney, which offers a dramatic view of the Sydney Opera House. He expressed concern about the current state of global geopolitics and what he calls a collective amnesia or deliberate refusal to engage with pressing world issues. He criticized the lack of connectedness in modern society, stating that injustice affecting one person has ripple effects across the entire human experience. Ai discussed the role of art in confronting these issues, arguing that much of contemporary art fails to challenge the status quo. He believes that real art should question political, social, and personal judgments, rather than merely presenting beauty or comfort. Ai described his artistic process as being driven by curiosity and boredom, rather than a rigid plan. He emphasized the importance of living a life that naturally captures the light, rather than chasing specific goals. He expressed skepticism about the ability of art to offer hope for the future of humanity, noting that much of what is seen in art institutions is decorative or sentimental rather than connected to the harsh realities of human struggle. Ai’s latest work, Mushrooms, is currently on display at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, inviting viewers to reflect on the themes of war, mortality, and the fragility of life.