The core of "Odyssey" lies in its juxtaposition of ancient aesthetic with modern tragedy:

Ai Weiwei adapted the style of classical Greek and Egyptian friezes (sculpted wall panels) and vase paintings for the artwork. By using this ancient, familiar visual language, he grants the contemporary refugee crisis a sense of historical weight and timeless universality.

The title itself, Odyssey, alludes to Homer's ancient Greek epic poem, which chronicles Odysseus's perilous ten-year journey home after the Trojan War. By naming his work Odyssey, Ai suggests that the current plight of refugees—fleeing war, crossing seas, searching for a place of belonging—is simply the latest chapter in a long, eternal human story of displacement and suffering.

By rendering these horrific modern scenes in a highly detailed, black-and-white style reminiscent of ancient art, Ai Weiwei forces viewers to confront the ugly reality of today's humanitarian crisis through a lens of subverted beauty and historical permanence. The work is a powerful political statement and an act of empathy, urging the viewer to recognize the shared humanity of those embarking on this tragic modern "odyssey."