Kunsthalle Praha presents the first major exhibition in the Czech Republic dedicated to William Kentridge, one of the most important contemporary artists in the world. The exhibition titled The Battle Between YES and NO is open until 7 September 2026 and traces more than four decades of his work through drawings, animated films, sculptures, installations, and theatre projects.
William Kentridge grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa, during the apartheid era. He comes from a family that was deeply engaged in questions of social justice, and as a student he became involved in activities directed against racial segregation. The experience of political oppression and social division subsequently became one of the fundamental starting points of his artistic work.
Although Kentridge's work is firmly rooted in the history of South Africa, it does not remain confined to specific political events. He also explores broader themes such as guilt, desire, exile, loss, despair, and the fragility of hope. His works therefore resonate with audiences in today's world marked by political polarisation, conflict, and growing mistrust between different parts of society.
The title of the exhibition refers to Kentridge's early prints and animations, in which he played with the words "Yes" and "No". Combining them produces the English word "Noise". This linguistic shift captures the artist's interest in uncertainty, contradiction, and the space between unambiguous agreement and refusal.
The exhibition, curated by Christelle Havranek, is conceived as a spatial collage composed of interconnected fragments. It traces Kentridge's development from his early charcoal-drawn films to his current multimedia projects. In his work, the artist combines traditional techniques with experimentation, improvisation, and collaboration with other creators.
The exhibition includes international loans as well as works from the Kunsthalle Praha collection. Visitors can see, for example, the early animated films from the Drawings for Projection series, made between 1989 and 2020, which reflects the transformation of South Africa as it moved away from apartheid.
The exhibition also includes the kinetic model Right Into Her Arms from 2016 and the project O Sentimental Machine from 2015, which examines collapsed political and social utopias. More recent work is represented by the video installation To Cross One More Sea from 2024, focused on the experience of exile, migration, and forced displacement.
Kentridge also created works specifically for the Prague exhibition. These include the piece A Letter to Felice from 2026. The exhibition is therefore not merely a retrospective look at the artist's career, but also an independent project responding to the specific environment of Kunsthalle Praha.
Accompanying the exhibition is the publication A Natural History of the Studio, based on a transcript of Kentridge's lectures delivered at Oxford University in 2024. The Czech edition also includes a curatorial text by Christelle Havranek and offers a deeper look into the artist's creative process.
The exhibition was initiated by Kunsthalle Praha and realised in collaboration with the artist, William Kentridge Studio, and the exhibition studio Squatelier. A multilingual audio guide, created in collaboration with the platform Cabinet of Wonders, is also available to visitors throughout the exhibition.
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