Ai Weiwei arrives in Prague with an exhibition and large installation on the theme of migration

After garnering plaudits and criticism with his recent exhibition at Palazzo Strozzi, Chinese artist Ai Weiwei arrives in Prague with his first exhibition in the Czech Republic: titled The Law of Travel, it will run from March 17, 2017 to January 7, 2018, will be held at the Národní Galerie v Praze (National Gallery in Prague), and will be entirely dedicated to the theme of migration. “There is no refugee crisis, there is only a human crisis...in relating to refugees we have lost our core values...in these times of uncertainty, we need more tolerance, compassion and trust in our fellow man, otherwise humanity will face an even greater crisis,” says Ai Weiwei, a migrant himself and particularly sensitive to the issue. The exhibition will revolve around the installation of the same name, a huge inflatable boat housing the stylized figures of 300 migrants.

With his work, “Ai Weiwei pays a powerful tribute,” say the organizers, “both to the human tragedy of the present and to humanity’s eternal desire to find a home and a sense of belonging. ’The Law of Travel’ is a ’call for action’ and a condemnation of the ignorance and blindness of the political and civic apparatus. The title of the exhibition alludes to Walter Benjamin’s reading of ’Kafka’s Law of Travel’ as a ’road studded with unexpected reversals and distortions that disrupt the connections between origins and destinations, between desires and their fulfillment, between the announcement of certain messages and their reception.’”

The exhibition, which will also host a selection of the Chinese artist’s most celebrated works, is curated by JiÅ™í Fajt and Adam Budak. Information can be found on the exhibition section of the National Gallery of Prague website.

Source: press release

Image: Ai Weiwei, The Law of Travel, detail

Ai Weiwei arrives in Prague with an exhibition and large installation on the theme of migration

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