Holešovice Market showcases new conceptual sculpture amid lengthy renovations
The Holešovice Market Hall unveiled a new sculpture titled “Market and Slaughterhouse” last week, established as part of Prague’s efforts to artistically revitalize the popular community space.
The sculpture of a red bear clawing at honeycombs by artist Adam Trbušek is in stark contrast with the nearby statue of a bull standing at the market’s entrance. According to the artist, the bull represents energy and strength while the bear, which is foraging for food, symbolizes decline and hunger. Together, they symbolize the rise and fall of the market.
Adam Trbušek, who serves as a chief technologist at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, and Artur Magrot, who works at the AVU 3D Center, found their sculpture in front of the Holešovice Market after answering the Prague City Gallery’s open call for artwork. “Market and Slaughterhouse” replaced the previous open call winner’s interactive wooden installation titled “The Karlín Raft,” which has stood on Štvanice Island since June. Trbušek and Magrot’s sculpture will remain by the Holešovice Market for one year.
The market has been undergoing renovations since 2020 to transform the space into a modern hub for community, new businesses, and green spaces. Prague also plans to preserve and restore the historical elements of the space, which was originally built as the city’s central slaughterhouse in the 1890s before transforming into the largest market in central Prague in 1985. Although the former Slaughterhouse Exchange building’s expensive reconstruction is slated for completion this year, city officials said the entire market’s renovation could take up to two decades.
