Eva Eisler – Eightfold Infinity
publication that uncovers the values and contexts of the work of a significant Czech artist
Prague – The publication Eva Eisler – Tamed Infinity offers a new and comprehensive view of the work of an exceptional artist who seamlessly navigates between design, fine art, architecture, and jewelry. Architect, theorist, and poet Pavla Melková collaborated with Eva Eisler on the book. The book will be launched as part of Designblok on October 9, 2025, at 5 PM at the Museum of Applied Arts in Prague.
Eva Eisler herself says that "she perceives her work as one continuous whole, where form and material become intermediaries of meaning". It is precisely the meaning, which is often hidden behind aesthetic perfection and craftsmanship, that forms the central axis of the book. Pavla Melková, co-author not only of the texts but primarily of the book's concept, draws from shared conversations with Eva Eisler as well as from her own interpretative reflections. Her approach brings a distinct structure and intellectual depth to the publication, connecting the artistic work with a broader value framework.
A strong feminine perspective organically intertwines throughout the book, not only through the works of Eva Eisler herself but also through the manner in which the book is conceived and interpreted. This creates a sensitively assembled testimony about the artist’s work, reflecting broader values: humanity, openness, connection, freedom, and courage to create. "The idea for collaboration arose spontaneously based on our mutual understanding. We are united by essential values – independence, courage, and the ability to see connections beyond disciplinary boundaries – and Pavla Melková is able to conduct a dialogue that reveals new layers of my story and gives the book its unconventional, coherent, and authentic form," recalls Eva Eisler about the beginning of their collaboration two years ago.
The chapters of the book are thematically structured according to concepts that characterize Eva Eisler's work: variability, openness, freedom, connection, generosity, timelessness, and continuity. These keywords are not only analytical categories but emerge directly from this artist’s approach to the world – from the ability to reflect on the values we lack and to remind us of them or reintroduce them into life through her work. Pavla Melková describes the collaboration with the words: "Eva has always been a very inspirational person for me, both in her personal life and work. And working on the book was exactly like that. Moreover, it was a personally beautiful experience."
The publication also features a rich visual accompaniment and includes contributions from leading figures in art theory, criticism, and curatorial practice from the Czech Republic and abroad – including Susan Grant Lewin, Charlotta Kotík, David Revere McFadden, and Thomas M. Messer. Together, they place Eva Eisler's work in a broader international context and affirm her exceptional standing in the field of contemporary art and design.
The book, which is also awaiting its English translation, loosely follows the monograph by Petra Matějovičová (2013) and expands the view of Eva Eisler's work after 2013. With accessible language, it is intended for a broad audience while preserving intellectual depth and scholarly value. The graphic design by Robert V. Novák further enhances the visual power of the publication.
The ceremonial launch of the book will take place on Thursday, October 9, 2025, at 5 PM at the Museum of Applied Arts in Prague (17 November 2, entrance from Široká street).
Authors of the concept and texts: Eva Eisler and Pavla Melková
Graphic design: Robert V. Novák
Publisher: UMPRUM
Eva Eisler (* 1952) is a Czech multidisciplinary artist, designer, contemporary jewelry maker, and university educator. She studied at the Secondary School of Civil Engineering in Prague and the Václav Hollar Secondary School of Art. From 1983 to 2006, she lived with her husband, architect John Eisler, in New York, where she gradually expanded her focus from jewelry to objects, installations, furniture, and industrial and exhibition design in collaboration with significant institutions. Her work, rooted in constructivist theory and inspired by the principles of sacred geometry, intertwines art, architecture, and design into a unique creative language. She has taught at the Parsons School of Design in New York and New York University, and upon returning to the Czech Republic, from 2007 to 2023, she led the K.O.V. studio at UMPRUM in Prague, where she trained a generation of designers capable of working across disciplines. In 2020, she was appointed professor in the field of architecture and design. Her work is represented in significant collections, including the Brooklyn Museum of Art, Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum, Museum of Arts and Design, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, as well as the UPM, Moravian Gallery, and Kampa Museum in the Czech Republic.
Pavla Melková
Pavla Melková is a practicing architect, but she also engages in literary and visual creation as well as theoretical and pedagogical work. Her primary interest is in the ways people perceive their environment and how this knowledge can be projected into its design. She has received numerous awards, including the Grand Prix for Architecture, the Grand Prix for Architecture in the category of reconstruction and design, the first prize at the East Centric Arhitext Awards Competition, and she has been nominated for several others, including the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award, Piranesi Award, and International Urban Project Award. She is the author of several books, including The Humanist Role of Architecture, Edge, The Architecture of Reciprocity, Perception of Space, The Gravitational Field of the Unutterable, and The Dance of Stirred Leaves, co-author of award-winning buildings, and creator of artistic works – the reliefs of the bells on the tower of the Hus Church in Vinohrady, the National Memorial to the Heroes of the Heydrichiada in Prague 1, and the Wayside Shrine in Karlov. Notable solo exhibitions include The Table by the Window, the Book on the Table (House of Art České Budějovice 2014), The Architecture of Reciprocity (Jaroslav Fragner Gallery 2020), and Gormley / Melková (Rudolfinum Gallery 2024).
Eva Eisler herself says that "she perceives her work as one continuous whole, where form and material become intermediaries of meaning". It is precisely the meaning, which is often hidden behind aesthetic perfection and craftsmanship, that forms the central axis of the book. Pavla Melková, co-author not only of the texts but primarily of the book's concept, draws from shared conversations with Eva Eisler as well as from her own interpretative reflections. Her approach brings a distinct structure and intellectual depth to the publication, connecting the artistic work with a broader value framework.
A strong feminine perspective organically intertwines throughout the book, not only through the works of Eva Eisler herself but also through the manner in which the book is conceived and interpreted. This creates a sensitively assembled testimony about the artist’s work, reflecting broader values: humanity, openness, connection, freedom, and courage to create. "The idea for collaboration arose spontaneously based on our mutual understanding. We are united by essential values – independence, courage, and the ability to see connections beyond disciplinary boundaries – and Pavla Melková is able to conduct a dialogue that reveals new layers of my story and gives the book its unconventional, coherent, and authentic form," recalls Eva Eisler about the beginning of their collaboration two years ago.
The chapters of the book are thematically structured according to concepts that characterize Eva Eisler's work: variability, openness, freedom, connection, generosity, timelessness, and continuity. These keywords are not only analytical categories but emerge directly from this artist’s approach to the world – from the ability to reflect on the values we lack and to remind us of them or reintroduce them into life through her work. Pavla Melková describes the collaboration with the words: "Eva has always been a very inspirational person for me, both in her personal life and work. And working on the book was exactly like that. Moreover, it was a personally beautiful experience."
The publication also features a rich visual accompaniment and includes contributions from leading figures in art theory, criticism, and curatorial practice from the Czech Republic and abroad – including Susan Grant Lewin, Charlotta Kotík, David Revere McFadden, and Thomas M. Messer. Together, they place Eva Eisler's work in a broader international context and affirm her exceptional standing in the field of contemporary art and design.
The book, which is also awaiting its English translation, loosely follows the monograph by Petra Matějovičová (2013) and expands the view of Eva Eisler's work after 2013. With accessible language, it is intended for a broad audience while preserving intellectual depth and scholarly value. The graphic design by Robert V. Novák further enhances the visual power of the publication.
The ceremonial launch of the book will take place on Thursday, October 9, 2025, at 5 PM at the Museum of Applied Arts in Prague (17 November 2, entrance from Široká street).
Authors of the concept and texts: Eva Eisler and Pavla Melková
Graphic design: Robert V. Novák
Publisher: UMPRUM
Eva Eisler (* 1952) is a Czech multidisciplinary artist, designer, contemporary jewelry maker, and university educator. She studied at the Secondary School of Civil Engineering in Prague and the Václav Hollar Secondary School of Art. From 1983 to 2006, she lived with her husband, architect John Eisler, in New York, where she gradually expanded her focus from jewelry to objects, installations, furniture, and industrial and exhibition design in collaboration with significant institutions. Her work, rooted in constructivist theory and inspired by the principles of sacred geometry, intertwines art, architecture, and design into a unique creative language. She has taught at the Parsons School of Design in New York and New York University, and upon returning to the Czech Republic, from 2007 to 2023, she led the K.O.V. studio at UMPRUM in Prague, where she trained a generation of designers capable of working across disciplines. In 2020, she was appointed professor in the field of architecture and design. Her work is represented in significant collections, including the Brooklyn Museum of Art, Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum, Museum of Arts and Design, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, as well as the UPM, Moravian Gallery, and Kampa Museum in the Czech Republic.
Pavla Melková
Pavla Melková is a practicing architect, but she also engages in literary and visual creation as well as theoretical and pedagogical work. Her primary interest is in the ways people perceive their environment and how this knowledge can be projected into its design. She has received numerous awards, including the Grand Prix for Architecture, the Grand Prix for Architecture in the category of reconstruction and design, the first prize at the East Centric Arhitext Awards Competition, and she has been nominated for several others, including the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award, Piranesi Award, and International Urban Project Award. She is the author of several books, including The Humanist Role of Architecture, Edge, The Architecture of Reciprocity, Perception of Space, The Gravitational Field of the Unutterable, and The Dance of Stirred Leaves, co-author of award-winning buildings, and creator of artistic works – the reliefs of the bells on the tower of the Hus Church in Vinohrady, the National Memorial to the Heroes of the Heydrichiada in Prague 1, and the Wayside Shrine in Karlov. Notable solo exhibitions include The Table by the Window, the Book on the Table (House of Art České Budějovice 2014), The Architecture of Reciprocity (Jaroslav Fragner Gallery 2020), and Gormley / Melková (Rudolfinum Gallery 2024).
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