Commercial Commissions

Metamorphoses of Politics: Prague Monuments Of The Nineteenth Century

Exhibition Poster, Catalog Cover and Identity
Client: Czech National Gallery; City of Prague Archives, 2013

Project consists a visual identity, a poster and a catalog cover for exhibition organized by the Czech National Gallery in Prague and Prague City Archives in Clam-Gallas Palace in Prague, Czech Republic from 25 September, 2013 to 5 January, 2014.

The exhibition reveals the complex relationships between public monumental art and politics. To capture the intricacies of the period, the poster morphs photographs of two competitive models for the statue of st. Wenceslas, the patron of the Czech nation, that were submitted to a national competition in 1894 and are emblematic of the political intrigues of the period. Inspired by studies of motion by E. Muybridge (who created these studies almost concurrently to the models,) Multiple images are overlaid in transparent layers so that the horses and their riders appear in motion and gain a life of their own. One model, artistic expression and creative idea is therefore transformed into another hinting on the complex relationships in the arts and politics. White text contrasts with dark background in black and bronze colors, the material of choice for monuments in the 19th century. The text is shaped like a monument pedestal that often accompanies statues from this period. Palatino Bold typeface points towards the humanistic leanings of the Czech 19th Century art and culture.