For the past two months, Ai Weiwei has been working from the Greek island of Lesbos, documenting the waves of refugees landing on the island after they battled the merciless sea. His instagram feature many photos and videos of the asylum seekers, offering us an unprecedented account of the daily conditions and growing community on the island.
In an attempt to create the much needed awareness about the plights of the refugees, Ai has produced a five-column installation on the facade of Berlin’s Konzerthaus, a collection of 14,000 life vests from refugees who landed on the Greek Island. This does not account for the thousands of jackets that remain on the shores of the Greek island, pointing to the number of refugees who have passed through the island. Some 400 refugees losing their lives each day while making their way to Greece.
The temporary art installation was created for the Cinema for Peace gala which took place February 15, 2016. Ai was the honorary president of this year’s jury.
Images Credits: Oliver lang / Courtesy of Konzerthaus Berlin