Čeština
Prague – Sculptor Antonín Kašpar was one of 35,000 artists from around the world who took part in a competition to design a memorial to the victims of the 11 September 2001 attack on the World Trade Center in New York. The Czech Cultural Centre in New York is currently preparing an exhibition of the sculptor’s works, which will include a model of the memorial entitled “To bijí Heroes!” The model weighs 250 kg and stands 2.5 metres tall. Czech Television is making a documentary about its installation in the United States.
The Czech public had an opportunity to see the work during a commemorative event held in the garden of Černín Palace on 11 September.
“I once stood on the Twin Towers, and when I looked down, I realised that my work had a great deal in common with this architecture. It was essentially a pair of sculptures through which I have been trying to realise my ideas for years,” the sculptor said in an interview with ČT24.
Crosses are another prominent feature of his sculptures.
“When I lived in Zbraslav, I used to walk up Havlín Hill every day with my Labrador. There is a cemetery on the hill. Crosses rose above its wall, and I began to notice them more and more and to work with this ancient symbol. I am fascinated by the two arms of this primordial sign, equal in length and intersecting at the ideal, fundamental point where life begins. The cross symbolises the unity of opposites expressed through intersection: yin and yang, man and woman, life and death,” Kašpar explained, describing his inspiration in an interview with Xantypa magazine.
“Everything a person does is reflected in their work. For example, a colleague and I are currently carrying out a conservation survey of the underground foundations of the Jan Hus Monument in Old Town Square. When we first entered, we discovered metre-long stalactites hanging from the ceiling of the monument’s foundations, and the sight made a powerful impression on us. It is strange to find yourself in a place where nobody has been for such a long time and discover various messages from the past,” the artist concluded.