Contemporary art of Prague. Outdoor sculptures

Today is a story about unusual sculptures and monuments of Prague. Their number and variety of styles are impressive: from classic to modern, from spiritual to outright provocation. They really brighten up a walk around the city and if you meet them again, you consider them your old acquaintances!

01. Fountain "Musicians" on Senovazhnaya Square(sculptor Anna Khroma). Four dancing bronze sculptures represent four rivers: the mandolin sculpture represents the Ganges, the flute sculpture represents the Amazon, the violin sculpture represents the Danube, and the trumpet sculpture represents the Mississippi. The fifth sculpture is an allegory of the Nile River. (To be honest, I didn’t see the fifth one)

02. Sculptures of some special, mysterious beauty. The musicians are naked and covered only with scraps of “bronze fabric”, but their faces are covered.

03.

04.

05. It seemed to me that their wrapped faces symbolize absolute rapture with the sounds of music and disdain for their nakedness

06.

07. "Dancer". You are both a puppeteer and a puppet - brilliant!

08. “Men Pissing” (sculptor David Cherny). They stand in the courtyard of the Franz Kafka Museum, at Cihelna 2b, Prague 1 on Mala Strana. This composition represents two bronze men peeing on a map of the Czech Republic. The provocative sculptures were installed in 2004 and are controlled by a computer that adjusts the rotation of the hips and raises the hips.

09. So, you can even make the statues “write” your own phrase by sending an SMS message from your mobile phone to the number 724 370 770.

10. In general, there are a huge number of naked boys in Prague, and all of them have their private areas polished to a shine. This one stands in the courtyard of the Toy Museum (at Jirska 6, Prague 1)

11.

12. These are probably the most famous figures of babies by the famous Czech master David Cerny. They are called "Babies" and crawl next to the museum on Kampa Island

13. You can climb on them, and no one is chasing anyone

14. Monument to the victims of communism (sculptor Zoubek). Mala Strana, at the foot of Petrin Hill. It consists of a staircase on which there are seven sculptures symbolizing the suffering of a person doomed to death... A depressing sight

15. The theme of religious sculptures also deserves special mention. In addition to the classic statues of the Apostles and many crucifixes, the city has many extraordinary performances, such as Christ made from old shoes (usually these installations are dismantled for the winter, so I didn’t catch it)

16. This is how jokers depicted the crucifixion in the museum at Karlova 2, Prague 1

17.

18. "Commander" at the Estates Theater. This is a monument in honor of the premiere of Mozart's opera Don Giovanni in 1787 (c sculptor Anna Chromi)

19. The “trick” of this character is that under the cloak... there is emptiness. This is also creepy

20. On the facade New Town Hall we meet Rabbi Loew. Legend has it that Death, who could not reach him for a long time, pretended to be a rose and was given to the rabbi by his daughter (now she is always crying next to him). If you don’t know this beautiful story, then all sorts of bad thoughts will come into your head;-P

21. On the other side of the building we are met by the Iron (Black) Knight of Scamp. It seems that the enchanted knight can be bewitched by the prayers of a young virgin (it worked out well, however).

22. A funny shop without legs, occupied by voluptuous musicians. Stands in front of the Inter Continental Hotel (on Pařížská street)

23. Very touching guys are standing on one of the platforms of the Prague Main Station ( Wilsonova 300/8, Prague)

24. On the embankment, next to the Kampa Museum, Sri Chinmoy stands and blesses the river buses passing by

25. Kafka is everywhere. This one is located at Praha 1, Dusni 141/12

26. "Sigmund Freud, the hanging intellectual" (with sculptor David Cherny). Plastic and epoxy resin sculpture symbolizes disconnection intelligentsia from the people.

27. A detached look and a hand in his pocket somehow hints that the comrade is completely indifferent to his safety, and in general, he has a philosophical attitude towards issues of life and death

28. Another interesting object “hovering” over Prague. Golden bone... (no comment)

29. And this sweetest car on human legs is called “Quo vadis - People's Car of the GDR “Trabant”” and stands in the courtyard of the German Embassy ( Vlašská 19, Prague 1, Malá Strana).

30. Prague boasts many lovely maidens. For example, this lady lights the way with her stone torches on one of the supports of the Chekhov Bridge

31.

32. In general, naked young maidens everywhere sparkle with their charms on the facades of Prague houses

33. Sexy madam sphinx lies against the wall of the Rudolfinum building (from the embankment side) at Alšovo nábřeží 79/12

34. And this person is waiting for visitors on the corner of the Three Angels house, in one of the alleys near Old Town Square

35. Some fabulous little frog is thoughtfully smoking a pipe on the pier. They corrected me here in the comments: “this is not a frog, but Vodnik, that is, Vodyanoy. There are several places in Prague where it is believed that Vodyanoy can live. One is this, on the Chertovka canal (next to the wheel of the water mill), the other - under the rocks of Vysehrad, there are others"

36. Another option for contemporary art in Prague is street art. For example, a whole orchestra of colored wire figures. They are standing at some cafe on the river, right behind the lock (from the Visegrad side)

37.

38. Every city has its own Tsoi Wall;-) In Prague, it bears the name of John Lennon and, at the same time, is the wall of the Maltese Garden (address Velkopřevorské nám.). Our VKontash dog is right there

39.

40. Graffiti in the passages is very colorful and cheerful. It’s curious that no one will spoil them with other inscriptions

41.

42.

43.

44. And this is my favorite “Embryo” by my beloved David Cerny. A sculpture resembling a human fetus," created in 1996 from metal, plastic and epoxy resin. It "grew" on the corner of the facade of the Na Zabradli theater building at Anenske Namesti 5, Prague 1, stuck to a drainpipe like an extraterrestrial creature from a science fiction film.

45.

46. ​​At night, this something flickers moon-pink... If you don’t know that this is special, you can get a heart attack. Brrrrr!

47. The “Guns” exhibition in the courtyard of the AMoYA - Artbanka Museum of Young Art (the same David Cherny) consists of four suspended pistols, the muzzle of each of which is directed to the center

48. Glamor bomb - wow, this is adorable!!

49. Forged sign in front of the entrance to one of the many Prague hotels in the city center

50. And this bar made two minnows its totem and hung a couple above the entrance

51. Uh, “pink sheep”... no comment again

52. Window-node - it’s so Prague ;-)

My usual demi-season boots, bought at a 40 percent discount at a sale in a Sicilian store, refuted the fact that it is necessary to go to Prague with flat soles. Yes, my heel is not high, but many advisers would have rejected it, since the paths in Prague are paved with paving stones, and small descents and ascents around the city seem to strain the legs. No and no, I tell you! Even stiletto heels are suitable for the intricate paths of Prague. After all, wearing stiletto heels along patterned paths, you will have to walk slowly and carefully, which means that you will remember more and the impressions will be brighter.
But even if a girl is walking in high heels, is it worth doubting her professionalism to run quickly through the alleys if such a desire arises? Moreover, if the skills were acquired in Russian alleys, where the Prague paving stones would seem like a smooth, mirror-like path.

Our arrival in Prague. Boiler and battery

In Prague, we settled in a cozy little studio apartment of my friend. The front door of the house is decorated with white stucco in the form of floral patterns and heads that seem to emerge from the walls, enticing you to plunge into the world of antiquity. Just a day before our arrival, the old Soviet-era boiler in the apartment decided to explode. Of course, there was also an explosion and flood inside the friend.

“I always thought it would fall on my head!” But just like that!

Literally a couple of hours before we arrived, the boiler was replaced with a new one, so the thought of not washing in Prague for 3 days evaporated into construction dust, which neatly, in a European style, lay on the floor, in the sink, on the toilet lid - after the replacement dead tank to a living one.

“I’ve been afraid of this for a long time.” And I’m not at all sure that everything will be all right, that the water will flow hot. How long have I been living here? It seems like 3 years, but it happened now. - While mopping the floor, the owner of the boiler lamented about what had happened. On the way from the station, we shared different impressions with each other and, of course, I talked about how we spent the winter in Sicily frozen, how many times we thought that Italian stoufa would explode, how we learned to set it on fire with a lighter, and in general! Imagine my surprise when in Prague, in a relatively young house, there was no independent heating, which I had already become accustomed to in Budapest. The same gas burner was hidden in a brown casing, behind which the wick smoldered.

Charles Bridge and wish fulfillment

The next day we walked towards the Charles Bridge, bypassing Visegrad and leaving it for dessert.

On the way we came across the famous dancing house, which houses an art gallery and various offices.

We, like everyone else, hurried to Charles Bridge to rub the belly of the lying holy elder. Needless to say that all the way, seeing here and there bizarre monuments, patterns, boats, people, every now and then I made my wish again and again.

Along the way, unknown people offered a variety of services, from riding in a special car to selling marijuana. As you know, hemp is legalized in the Czech Republic, but only if it is grown at home. It is illegal to sell second hand.

Let's get back to making wishes come true. We reached the Charles Bridge from Visegrad in about an hour and a half.

I wished for good weather so many times that it snowed in Prague the next day. And it was only cold the three days we were there. It's a shame? No, unforgettable!

Some people say that on the Charles Bridge, to make a wish come true, you have to rub noses together. Others argue that it is necessary: ​​think of a number, for example, 30, then jump on your left leg and jump around yourself in this way until you fall. And if you fall before you count to 30, your wish will not come true!

But the most popular option for making a wish on the Charles Bridge is to rub your stomach or another part of the sculpture depicting John of Nepomuk, who accidentally fell into the water.

Actually, you won’t be able to pass by, because the shine of the belly will illuminate your path long before you take the first step onto the bridge. But there are also those who don’t want to make a wish, so they are looking for them. And what did a person need? Was it really difficult to polish a figurine?

By the way, all respondents claim that wishes come true. Although my respected Czech friends said that you should just touch the cross when making wishes, it is completely unnecessary to rub anything.

But note that on the bridge more than one figure and cross are glowing. Numerous details of famous monuments are polished to a shine. And street musicians, professionals in great shoes, create special desires in your head!

Just like the important detail of a young man near Prague Castle and Golden Lane.

There are a lot of rumors about what kind of wishes come true, and again, they say that wishes really do come true, so keep that in mind! You need to rub responsibly!

A little later we found out what Golden Street is and why I didn’t regret going there.

Prague is filled with various monuments, including unusual and strange ones. I’ll start with something pleasing to our eyes - mushrooms

This is an unusual “exhibition” by the young Czech artist Michal Trpak in the small Trade Union Square (odboru) in Prague. A composition with 6-meter-tall Psilocybin mushrooms is located in front of the hotel building (“House of Mosaic”).

The man sitting above the entrance to the building is called “The Thinker” (Czech: Myslitel, Thinker). And happy people - women and men - fly around on umbrellas.

This is a view from Trade Union Square to the short Trade Union Street leading to the New Town Hall.

The man is one of the flying people.

The entire installation is called “Waiting for Happiness” (2013). Apparently by eating "magic moshrum". They say that people floating in the air are intended to symbolize the financial crisis...

Internet review. M. Trpak has many exhibitions with “Thinkers” or floating people called “Slight Uncertainty”, as an allusion to the financial crisis. In addition, he has several sculptural compositions and monuments: “Tornado” (“Tornado”, 2005 - No. 5), a sculpture of unusual pink animals - “Tenderness” (Czech “Mazlici”, 2014 - No. 1) or a monument with holes head, installed in the artist’s homeland in Budejovice - “Mental Insight” (“Mental Insight”, 2012 - No. 2), the monument “Humanoids” (“Humanoids”, 2009, one of the options was installed somewhere in our Siberia - No. 4) or the monument “Reminder” (“Memento”, 2014 - No. 3). One of the latest works is a philosophical sculpture with the painting “Escape into reality” - No. 6.

There are also flying people on Long Street (dlouha) in the northern part of the Old Town.

As you continue along Long (dlouha) Street you will inevitably run into a large woman. But the sight of her usually evokes mixed feelings among viewers. This is the work of a more famous avant-garde artist David Cerny than Trpak.

The 6.5-meter-tall composition is called “In the Womb” and is part of the gallery’s collection of contemporary art. The only beautiful thing is that stainless steel reflects light in different colors when the lighting changes.

One of the most famous compositions of the scandalous D. Cerny - “Piss-Gerget Brickworks” (2004) is installed in the courtyard of the Kafka Museum. Two bronze men write out (both meanings of this word finally come together) patterns and texts on the water surface of the fountain. The reservoir exactly follows the contours of the borders of the Czech Republic (see outline at the top left). Those. they simply flooded the country with their urine - amazing patriotism!

Tourists, of course, cannot resist touching the moving organ of the dudes, because the common people simply call the composition “Two Peeing Guys”.

This young man also did not escape the hands of tourists and shines in the most interesting place. It is installed in the courtyard of the information center in Visegrad (against the background of the remains of an ancient Gothic gate). Well, in the same courtyard there is a “house of Czech children”.

This is the monument to St. Wenceslas (author Josef Myslbek) on Wenceslas Square - long, similar to a wide boulevard. So, in the distance, at the other end of the square, D. Cerny installed the sculpture “Horse” (1999): Vaclav sits on the belly of his inverted dead horse. According to the author (?), this reflected either the political state of the Czech Republic, or a mockery of Vaclav himself.

Internet review. Currently, “Horse” (No. 2) is located in the “Lucerna” passage in Prague. One of the first actions of the young Cerny was to repaint pink the monument to the liberators of Prague - the Soviet tank (No. 1), now it is in the military museum of Lesany. The sculpture “Hanging Out” (No. 3) depicts the life-size figure of Sigmund Freud. Crawling Babies (2000 - No. 4) on the Zizkov TV tower in the east of the city. Performance purple “Fuck” (“Fuck the KSCM”, 2002 - No. 5) - an indecent gesture, as an attitude towards the Communist Party of the Czech Republic. In the courtyard of the FUTURA Contemporary Art Gallery there is an installation of two butts (2003 - No. 6). If you go up the stairs and look inside, you can see a vile video about politicians. Well, there are also indecent sculptures and designs by David, which I would not like to present here... This is such high art... By the way, in 2000 he received the Prize. Jindřich Chalupecký for young artists. And our Russian history has examples of similar awards.

Another group of naked men - Memorial to the Victims of Communism at the base of Petrín Hill (Czech: Pomnik obetem komunismu, 2002). I can’t say anything bad about this successful monument. It’s just a pity that there were no women among the victims... This is all the avant-garde in art, the aesthetics of which I apparently don’t understand.

Nothing adds more flavor to a city than the presence of sculptures and monuments. Partly thanks to them, we remember cities, because there are historical, funny, ugly, and unusual sculptures. In today's article we will walk around Prague in search of such sculptures.

I already wrote about some unusual sculptures in Prague, most of which were created by the Czech sculptor David Černý in the post "". Today it’s my turn to write about sculptures that were not included in that list.

While walking around Prague, you will discover a huge number of sculptures of a wide variety of styles that decorate fountains, bridges, building facades or shops. But tourists are not particularly interested in looking at sculptures and monuments dedicated to famous historical figures, unless it’s the Statue of Liberty, so we go looking for the most bizarre creations.

1. An eerie surreal sculpture called “Cloak of Conscience” or “Commander”, installed at the Estates Theater in memory of the premiere of Mozart’s opera “Don Giovanni” in 1787. Under the cloak you will not see either the body or the face of the hero. Sculpture address: Železná ulice / Ovocný trh, Prague.

2. Sculpture of the writer Kafka in the very center of Prague on Dušní street next to the Spanish synagogue. The location of the sculpture was not chosen by chance: Kafka lived with his family on this street. The height of the statue is 375 centimeters, weight is 800 kilograms. In general, this sculpture personifies the work “Description of a Struggle.” Sculpture address: Dušní 141/12, Prague.

3. Czechs used to believe in all sorts of monsters, monsters, including water creatures. There is a legend according to which the waterman can appear in several places in Prague, one of them is Prague Venice, which is located on the Certovka canal near the water mill near the lovers' bridge. That’s why they decided to install the sculpture of the Waterwoman (Kabourek) here. This statue was created by sculptor Josef Nálepa ​​- one of the few who made a portrait of Salvador Dali. Address of the sculpture: Hroznová 489/3, Prague.

4. Memorial sculpture honoring the work of broker Sir Nicholas George Winton, who on the eve of World War II helped rescue 669 children from German-occupied Czechoslovakia to the UK. Sir kept this secret for 49 years. The sculpture is located in the main station building in Prague at Wilsonova 300/8, Prague, platform No. 1.

5. Walking through the narrow streets of Prague in the Klimentinum area, you can notice a girl sitting on the eaves of a house and holding a paper swallow (Vlaštovka) in her hands. This composition represents world peace. Address of the sculpture: Mariánské náměstí 5, Prague.

6. An installation of 34 yellow penguins on the Vltava is called “March of the Penguins across the Vltava River.” Penguins glow at night! They are made from recycled plastic bottles and seem to hint that you need to take care of the environment.

7. Czechs love animals very much, so it is not surprising that there are animal sculptures in the city, for example, this fountain is a seal. The sculpture can be found if you go down through the Kinsky garden (Kinského zahrada).

8. During your walk you can see a fountain with horses.

9. Such dolls decorate the entrance to either a puppet museum or a puppet theater.

10. All houses in the center of Prague have a history dating back to the Middle Ages, so it is not surprising that many houses have different signs and decorations.

11. I think that many people know the popular Czech cartoon about a mole, but in the Czech Republic there are other famous children's heroes - Spejbl a Hurvínek. These are wooden puppets that became the main characters of one of the first professional puppet theaters in the world. And this shop with Spable and Gurvink is located near the theater of the same name at Dejvická 38, Prague.

12. Now let's move on to indecency. In the photo you see a sculpture of a naked boy, with whom tourists like to take pictures, holding him in an indecent place. Sculpture address: Jiřská 4, Praha, Czech Republic (in front of the entrance to the Toy Museum).

13. In front of the Inter Continental Hotel (Pařížská 30, Prague) stands the brainchild of Czech sculptor Lea Vivot, who now lives in Canada. The sculpture is called “Grapes of Passions” and it bears the inscription “Bronze is a mirror of forms. Wine is the mirror of the heart."

14. Lea Vivot created other sculptures in Prague. For example, at the O2 Arena at Českomoravská 2345/17, Prague there is a sculpture with a hockey player, a speed skater and a blonde. The work is called “Our Life is a Game,” but the Czechs prefer other titles: “Skater” or “Beauty and the Beast.”

15. There are sculptures of representatives of the ancient profession in at least Amsterdam, Bratislava, Oslo, and the same sculpture was in Prague until the fighters for decency demanded that it be removed. This shop of vice (The Bench of Vice, Lavička neřesti) was removed, but photographs of this composition continue to wander around the Internet.

16. In a remote area of ​​Prague called Stodulki, there is a red sculpture of a naked girl. The sculpture appeared during communism, which was brought by you know who to Czechoslovakia. During this period of time, an amount of 1-4% for art was to be collected from the fund of each building. The sculptor with this work probably wanted to show that a lot of blood was shed, but we need art. Address of the sculpture: Kovářova 64/28, Prague.