On Friday, the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia in Sydney unveiled a striking installation by renowned artist Ai Weiwei. Titled Mushrooms, the artwork comprises 500 cast-iron combat helmets, arranged in ten orderly lines on the city’s bustling Tallawoladah Lawn.

The 131-foot-long installation, which sits on an elevated platform bisected by a pedestrian walkway, is a powerful reminder of 20th-century conflicts. According to Ai Weiwei, the title alludes to growth in darkness, nuclear mushroom clouds, and endless delays.

“We continue to exist in a time where war and peace interchangeably assume each other’s roles, shaping the identity of our age. I hope this work prompts people to reflect on war and peace,” said the artist.

Mushrooms is part of the Neil Balnaves Tallawoladah Lawn Commission, named after the Australian philanthropist who passed away in 2022. The installation will remain on view for seven months, during which visitors can learn about its inspiration: a controversy in 2022 when Germany refused to provide weapons to Ukraine, instead offering 5,000 helmets—a move mocked by Kyiv.

Ai Weiwei’s work aims to demonstrate the shallow understanding of today’s national leadership regarding the human condition and the future. It follows the inaugural commission by the same name, awarded to British sculptor Thomas J. Price, who created a more than 10-foot-tall golden-bronze sculpture of a woman’s head, inviting viewers to reflect on universal emotions and experiences.