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In his first virtual reality artwork, political activist and conceptual artist AI WEIWEI highlights the dire situation of Rohingya people and logging elephants who fall victim to regional conflicts and ethnic cleansing and seek refuge in exile.
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This 12-minute immersive 360° video combines two longer works, which follow the impact of forced migration through the experiences of the Rohingya and teak logging elephants across Myanmar and Bangladesh. Through the use of 360° technology, Ai Weiwei deepens the viewer's understanding of the lived experience of migration and places them at the centre of this global crisis.
Following on from the artist’s previous documentary works detailing the current plight of migration, including Human Flow (2017) and The Rest (2018), Omni furthers Ai’s examination on the crisis of migration and the refugee experience, an issue close to the heart of the artist.
Omni highlights the dire circumstances of both humans and animals as they fall victim to regional conflict and ethnic cleansing, causing them to be displaced as they seek refuge in exile. By utilising VR technology, Ai deepens the viewers’ understanding of the lived experience of migration, putting them at the centre of this global crisis.
Detailing the Rohingya migrant crisis, which started two years ago, causing over 730,000 refugees to flee from Myanmar to Bangladesh, Omni places the viewer at the centre of the migrant camp, just across the border from their previous home in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, also referred to as ‘Cox’s Bazaar.’ The viewer witnesses the busy everyday experiences of the migrants, from waiting in line for supplies, to accepting meat for Eid and moving homes within the site. The conditions are plainly apparent to the viewer: shelters made from found materials are situated on steep hills and basic amenities such as food and gas are highly sought after, yet the sprawling camp has become a permanent home for the Rohingya, with purpose-built playgrounds for children.
Part two of Omni features the logging elephants of Myanmar. Through obsolescence, the elephants and their mahouts (trainers) must now attempt to find security and safety in a hostile environment as the government has placed restrictions on elephant logging. The viewer observes the close relationship between human and animal evidenced in the care the mahouts take to clean the elephants in a local river. Animals no longer in the care of their mahouts are left to return to the wild. Attempting to cross hereditary paths, which have been erased through the demolition of their natural habitat, these elephants have come into conflict with the Rohingya refugees and their camps have been erected on the elephant’s migratory route.
- From 14 years on
- Foyer
- No admission
- Part of the programme of "terribly beautiful"
