Prague’s Municipal Library has been blindsided by a surge of visitors to Idiom, a cylindrical tower of 8,000 books by Slovak artist Matej Kren.
Installed in 1998, the sculpture features a tear-shaped entrance and mirrors, creating an illusion of an endless tunnel. Quiet for years, it went viral on TikTok in late 2022.
Tourists queue for up to two hours, sometimes spilling into the street. Library spokeswoman Lenka Hanzlikova said crowds of 1,000 a day at peak times are “bizarre” and may require entry management or fees.
Kren, who used discarded local books to symbolize the infinity of learning, said he never intended it as a tourist attraction. Visitors like Ghazal Nour from Italy called it “beautiful” but questioned whether the long wait was worth it.
