Chinese artist Ai Weiwei brings new refugee-themed piece to Prague

Chinese conceptual artist and political activist Ai Weiwei has placed his latest refugee-themed installation a black rubber boat with 258 figures onboard in Prague, thecapital of a European Union country that has opposed the bloc's efforts to redistribute migrants among member nations.

The giant piece, titled Law of the Journey,attests to Ai'sconcern with the plight of migrants who embark on the dangerous journey to Europe by sea.

• Ai Weiwei withdraws works in Denmark due to immigration law

He visited 20 refugee sites across the world, including the Greek island of Lesbos, an entry point for manymigrants trying to reach western Europe from Turkey.

"To refuse somebody so desperate is almost a crime," Ai told The Associated Press.

"It's immoral, it's short-sighted, and it isnot going to benefit this nation. We cannot lose our fundamental beliefs in human rights and human dignity."

His largest piece so far, the 70-metre-long black rubber boat hangs from the ceiling at the National Gallery's Trade Fair Palace. The site-specific installation that went on exhibitThursday was made in a Chinese factory that produces dinghies usedby actual refugees, Ai said.

The 59-year-old artist has exhibited similar works elsewhere. He used 14,000 discarded life vests collected from the beaches of Lesbos to wrap the columns of Berlin's Konzerthaus and to create lotus blossoms floating on a pond in Vienna's Belvedere park.

The artist also posed as Alan Kurdi, a Syrian toddler whose lifeless body was famously photographed lying face-down on a Lesbospebble beach. Ai was criticized for exploiting the child's tragic death.

More than 1.2 million people have crossed the Mediterranean to Europe since 2015, data from the International Organization for Migration show. According to the European Commission, the Czech Republic has so far accepted 12 migrants for relocation.