The work of David Cerny, Czech famoussculptor and performance artist, stands out as a continuous source of controversy and debate. All his works seem designed to divide the population between those who worship and those who do not understand why the authorities let him exhibithis works to the public eye. Beyond the artistic criticism, what is certain is that workafter work, Cerny has earned a place among the highlights of Prague and we include a route of his works within our accommodation in Prague. We proceed to meet hismost remarkable works.
Crawling babies
One of the most famous works of Cerny is the representation of a baby crawling whose deformed face seems to represent a bar code. We findup to 13 babies along Prague: exactlyten black figures in small format climbingthe communications tower of the city, the Žižkov tower, and three large-scale bronze babies in front of the contemporary art museum on the island of Kampa.
Jets
It’s difficult to choose the most controversial sculpture by David Cerny, but probably many Czech citizens will not hesitate to choose this one. It is about two men urinating outside the museum of Franz Kafka on the silhouette of the Czech Republic, performing pelvic movements that let it draw on the sheet of water famous quotes from famous Czechspeople. There is also the possibility that they “draw” the phrase you want ifyousend an SMS to the number appearing on the sculpture itself.
Brown Noser
What if you could introduce by a stairway in the ass holeof two giants that overlook a garden wall to display a satirical film?, What would you think if in that movie the former Czech President and the Director of the National Gallery are shown eating each other, while “We Are the Champions” by Queen is being played? Bizarre situation… that is a good definition of such a work of art.
Hanging
This curious statue located on top of the crossing two streets represents the psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud suspended in the vacuum, holding only thanks to a tube to avoid falling to the ground and with the other hand in his pocket. It symbolizes the role of intellectuals and the constant need to decide whether to continue with their works or surrender.
The Dead Horse of St. Wenceslas
St. Wenceslas is the saint of Bohemia whose equestrian statue dominates the square withthe same name, one of the most emblematic of the city. In this work Cernyrepresentsthe Saint riding on the belly of a dead horse and hung upside down, tied by itslegs. It is therefore a parody to protest againstthe ancient symbols of power.
Frank Kafka
Perhaps the least controversial does not include any subversive message, it is a sculpture of ten metreshigh formed by 42 horizontal sections forming constantly moving and deforming the bust of the famous writer.
London booster
In the same line of Kafkasculpture, this typical English double-decker bus has been transformed into an athlete and doing pushups (moving for half an hour per day for 15 h. to 15.30).It was held on the occasion of the 2012 Summer Olympics, without much more controversy.
Quo vadis?
It’s a Trabant, the most symbolic car of the communist Germany, with legs instead of wheels. It is a tribute to the 4.000 Germans from the former GDR in 1989, during the Velvet Revolution, settled in front of the West German embassy in Prague, requesting entry visas.Itis currently facing what at that moment was the embassy and now belongs to the unified Germany.