The memorial to the victims of the shooting in Ostrava will arise from an art competition

Ostrava - The design of a memorial commemorating the tragic December attack at the University Hospital in Ostrava will emerge from a combined artistic competition. The city has approached three artists, and another three will be selected based on submitted portfolios. The artwork is to be unveiled on the occasion of the first anniversary of the tragedy. This was stated today by Deputy Mayor Zuzana Bajgarová (ANO) to journalists. The attack by a forty-two-year-old shooter in the trauma ward of the polyclinic claimed seven lives, and two people were injured.

Participants in the competition are to propose the design of the memorial and its placement in front of the hospital polyclinic. The city studio MAPPA, which organizes the competition, has identified three artists who will be invited directly to participate - these are Jan Šnéberger, Matěj Frank, and Pavla Voborník Kačírková. Other interested parties, including students, can apply for the competition, and they must submit a portfolio of their works by March 12. The jury will meet for the first time on March 16. Eleven jurors from the applicants will select three more participants for the competition. Altogether, the jury will evaluate six proposals, which must be submitted by May 14.

"The implementation should take place between August and October this year so that the memorial can be opened for the first anniversary," stated Bajgarová. The cost of the work should be a maximum of 1.8 million crowns including VAT. The city, the region, and the hospital will share the costs of the memorial site.

The city did not want to place significant limitations on the authors. They would like a timeless work of art that reflects the weight of the tragic event and remembers the victims. The authors should take into account both the existing art object Sun by Vladislav Gajda and the fact that many people pass through the area.

"The tragic event of December 10 is exceptional in the history of the city. Even in our archives, we could not find any similarly tragic and essentially mass murder," stated Mayor Tomáš Macura (ANO). He added that last year's unveiling of a memorial site commemorating the mining disaster in Stonava, Karviná, from the year before was an inspiration for the city.

The shooter opened fire without warning in the waiting room of the trauma outpatient clinic of the hospital polyclinic on Tuesday, December 10, after 07:00. He shot patients at close range in the head and chest. He managed to escape from the hospital before the police arrived. He then committed suicide in Děhylov in the Opava region.