A work by provocative Chinese artist Ai Weiwei will go on display at a museum in Washington.

The Smithsonian's Sackler Gallery said on Tuesday that it will display Ai's installation piece “Fragments,'' a huge work in ironwood with pieces from the dismantled temples of the Qing Dynasty. The piece has never been shown in the United States. It will be featured as part of the “Perspectives” series and runs from May 2012 until April 2013.

Ai was detained for three months last year in China on charges of speaking against the government. Under terms of his bail, the artist is prohibited from leaving Beijing until June.

The Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum plans to open a companion exhibit beginning in October.

The Sackler Gallery said both exhibitions will be accompanied by a full schedule of public programs, with details coming soon.