Francis Alÿs examines the patterns of various urban sites before weaving his own fables into their tangled social fabric with wit, sensitivity, and an acutely personal connection to his subject matter.

A scene such as a Volkswagen Beetle struggling up a hill or a man pushing a block of ice can carry a message that resonates far beyond the work's simple parameters. As Alÿs puts it, 'Sometimes doing something poetic can become political, and sometimes doing something political can become poetic.'...

Alÿs's work has been included in the world's top international exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale, Documenta, the Carnegie International, and the São Paulo Biennal.

This book features two new essays by renowned anthropologist Michael Taussig as well as new writings by the artist and exhaustive visual presentations of his recent project in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The publication is timed to tie in with Alÿs's first major North American exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art opening in 2020.