Explore Franz Kafka’s world at Neilson Hays Library

Neilson Hays Library is hosting the Unfolding Kafka Festival 2024, which features three interesting events to explore Franz Kafka’s grotesque universe, next month.
This is the fifth edition of Bangkok’s biennial festival for contemporary performing arts founded by Thai choreographer Jitti Chompee. It also marks the centennial anniversary of Franz Kafka’s death. The Austrian-Czech novelist and writer is widely regarded as a major figure of 20th-century literature.
The festival will investigate Kafka’s work through multiple forms of abstract and conceptual performance art, challenging Thai audiences to respond to unconventional and provocative interpretations of Kafka’s works.
The first event is a showing of The Silence Of Insects, an installation of 96 origami paper cicadas by Berlin-based Japanese scenographer and multimedia artist Yoko Seyama, from Friday to Nov 14.
Each insect is made from Japanese washi paper, with 150-200 folds. They will be hanging by the mobiles from a height of 18m down almost to the floor and glowing in the darkness represented as the moment of their transformation, or metamorphosis.
Running from Friday to Nov 21, the “Completely Kafka” exhibition features a witty and poignant comic biography of Kafka developed by Austrian illustrator Nicolas Mahler. This is an approachable and amusing portrayal of this extraordinary author’s life.
The last programme of the festival will be a screening of The Glory Of Life, on Nov 13 at 7pm. Directed by Judith Kaufmann and Georg Maas, the 2024 drama recounts the last year of Kafka’s life and its surprising love story.
The film was nominated for 2024 German Film Award in Best Costume Design. It’s in German with English subtitles.
There is no admission fee. Neilson Hays Library is on Surawong Road and opens daily from 9.30am to 5pm (except Monday).
Visit neilsonhayslibrary.org or call 02-233-1731.