Ai Weiwei highlights plight of migrants with 200ft Sydney life raft sculpture

David Gray/Reuters
Ailis Brennan12 March 2018

Artist Ai Weiwei has installed a 200ft inflatable life raft crammed with 300 figures in Sydney to highlight the plight of refugees.

The Chinese activist unveiled the giant artwork, his contribution to this year’s Biennale of Sydney, on Cockatoo Island today.

Law Of The Journey portrays the perilous journey that thousands of refugees take to escape conflict and poverty by crossing the Mediterranean.

Weiwei, 60, called on the Australian government to be more compassionate towards migrants and criticised its use of detention centres.

He said: “It gives Australia such a bad image, about who Australia is, what the Australian culture is all about.”

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