William Kentridge — The Battle Between YES and NO

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Kunsthalle Praha

The Battle Between YES and NO is the first major exhibition in Czechia dedicated to William Kentridge, one of the most celebrated artists of our time. Raised in Johannesburg during apartheid, in a family deeply committed to social justice, Kentridge became involved in anti-apartheid activism as a student. These experiences shaped an artistic practice that reflects South Africa’s social and historical tensions while speaking to universal human themes.

Working across drawing, sculpture, performance, film, and opera, Kentridge combines traditional techniques with collaborative experimentation. His work draws on a wide range of references such as his own biography, politics, art history, science, literature, and music, creating a visual language rooted in imagination, ambiguity, and play. Over more than four decades, he has developed a distinctive approach that embraces improvisation and the unknown.

Kentridge’s work has been exhibited around the world, including the MoMA in New York, the Louvre in Paris, the Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid, the Zeitz MOCAA and the Norval Foundation in Cape Town, and the Royal Academy of Arts in London. He has participated in Documenta (1997, 2002, 2012) and the Venice Biennale (1993–2015). In 2016, he founded The Centre for the Less Good Idea in Johannesburg, dedicated to cross-disciplinary creation, experimentation, and collective thinking.

The exhibition title The Battle Between YES and NO refers to a series of early prints and animations in which Kentridge playfully questions affirmation and denial, merging the words “Yes” and “No” into “Noise”. The exhibition follows his process and his long-standing interest in themes such as exile, language, and desire.

date and time

Mon 11:00—19:00

Tue closed

Wed 11:00—21:00

Thur—Sun 11:00—19:00

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