The center of Liberec will be transformed into an open-air gallery

Liberec - The center of Liberec will transform into an open-air gallery at the end of June. The Sculpture Forum Liberec 2007 project will enliven the Soukenné náměstí area with sculptures, showcasing works by artists such as Michal Cimala, Jan Stolín, Čestmír Suška, and Aleš Veselý. The exhibition follows a significant event, Sculpture and the City, held under Ještěd in 1969, which presented 45 artistic works at that time, said Ivona Raimanová, the exhibition curator from Spacium, the organizing company, today to ČTK.
    The Liberec forum will take place on the occasion of the fourth International Biennial of Industrial Trails 2007. Liberec is one of four locations included in the program. Other exhibitions will occur in September in Prague, Ostrava, and Kladno. However, the Liberec exhibition will be the longest, lasting until the end of October. "The biennial aims to highlight the possibilities of using industrial objects, offering a wide range from lectures and excursions to performances and musical events, culminating in a conference," Raimanová said.
    The installation of sculptures will be concentrated in front of the Tesco department store, in an area that is a vibrant shopping, transportation, and social center. "Here, at least for a time, a gallery will emerge in the open air, and Liberec will thus join the ranks of global metropolises where contemporary sculpture becomes a natural, permanent, and integral part of city life," noted the exhibition curator.
    The Spacium company was established six years ago in Liberec at the initiative of artists and architects. The company is actively working to revitalize and cultivate urban nooks in the hundred-thousand-strong city. Thanks to its activities, many previously uninteresting places are now adorned with artistic works. Recently, at the beginning of June, the sculpture Eternal Tenderness by artist Lukáš Rittestein was installed in the lower center, which also serves as a bench.
    Among the most popular but perhaps also the most controversial works that adorn Liberec thanks to Spacium’s activities is the sculptural project Stop by David Černý. The bronze monumental sculpture looks like a set table, with passengers waiting for buses hidden underneath it. "The old stop provoked us with its bleakness, so we chose it for the bronze sculpture," explained one of Spacium’s founders, Liberec architect Filip Horatschke. Next to the historic town hall, the object has become one of the most photographed in the city center.
    Thanks to Spacium’s support, not only new sculptures are being created, but also those that already stood in the city and were often forgotten are returning to their original beauty. Two sculptures - Dream Gate by Eva Kmentová and Butterfly Wings by Jiří Novák, which have adorned the small park opposite the North Bohemian Museum for over 30 years, were restored by conservators two years ago. These works were created as part of the Sculpture and City project in 1969, which Spacium is now striving to continue.