Exhibition of colourful sculptures brightens up Prague's Wenceslas Square
If you've been on Prague's Wenceslas Square (Vaclavkse namesti) recently, you may have noticed an extremely futuristic car, a huge naked Buddha or four golden-coloured shopping trolleys. No, the world hasn't gone mad - the square is currently playing host to an exhibition of sculptures by Czech and Slovak artists. What's more the sculptures seem to be popular, if the number of people having their photos taken by them is anything to go by. The exhibition is organised by the Art Factory gallery, which is owned by Zora Carrier. I asked her how many sculptures were on the Wenceslas Square.
"Now we have 24 sculptures installed on the square, but we are working a little bit with surprise. We are planning every maybe every ten days, two weeks, to do another installation and give people a reason to come again, see the festival and see the new child who came to the family."
Is this the first such exhibition on Wenceslas Square?
"Definitely the first, and when we first started to talk about it everybody thought that this must be just a dream. We had a hard time telling artists yes, we are serious, and we really have the permission to install on Vaclavske namesti."
Would you say it's a new experience for Czech people to walk down the street and see so many sculptures?
"Yes, yes, definitely it is and I think that Vaclavske namesti needed something like this, an event like this. I don't think that people are happy with Vaclavske namesti how it looks like, what the traffic, the culture, the architecture - the modern architecture - right now do there."
What kind of reaction have you had so far to the sculptures?
"Most of them were positive, some of them were like questions, and I think this is what art should do. Art never has a feeling that should answer some questions, that's what we have signs for. Art is more here to do the questions and make people think about things."
Do you think tourists for example might be confused by some of the pieces?
"I think that people who are not completely involved might be confused but if that will be a reason for them to think about something, that's what we want to say."
If it's a success will you do it again?
"We are definitely planning to do it next year, and to start this autumn to work with artists, to work with our partners and collect money and prepare the next festival for next summer."
