20. století
David Černý
Today's renowned Czech artist
Significant photo
Fotogalerie
Info text
David Černý made our country famous in Europe with his statue depicting typical cultural stereotypes of individual countries of the European Union. The statue was unveiled by Czech officials in Brussels, in the beginning of its taking over the EU presidence. However, the statue was removed before the end of the presidence because of Černý's disagreement with the opposition of the Czech Republic government.
David Černý became famous in 1991, when, with his friend, he painted in pink the tank of the Soviet Union Army IS-2 No. 23 at the Kinský Park, which then caused a great scandal. His most significant artwork is a sculpture called "Kůň" (Horse) from 1999. The sculpture shows St. Wenceslas sitting on the belly of his dead horse. It is now installed in the Lucerna Palace. Its original placement was conversely in the lower part of the Wenceslas Square at the Můstek subway station.
His other known artworks are
the giant statues of the babies on the Žižkov telecommunication tower. He also created the group sculpture of two persons urinating disdainfully on the contour of the Czech Republic in Hergetova Cihelna. Using an SMS text here, you can have a message created by urinating. David Černý also proposed to have the sculpture of a giant masturbator placed on the top of the National Theater in Prague as a symbol of exaggerated nationalism.
The same as with his many artworks, his communication in the media is aimed against the Czech Republic. He said that the stereotype of a Czech Republic national is "unmixed, uninteresting dumpling-like matter soaked in beer". Because of his different outbursts he was charged with felony of defaming race, nation and national confidence. David Černý was however acquitted of these charges. One of his unsuccessful projects is a monument to the victims of the World War II at Klárov.
