Keying in on ambivalence

Jiří David was a leading pioneer of Czech postmodernist art in the 1980s and 1990s, and his latest work comes with its own postmodern twist.

Unveiled for the first time March 9 on Franz Kafka Square in Old Town, the 6-meter-tall Key Sculpture, is meant as a commentary on the state of the Czech Republic 20 years after the fall of communism and plays on the theme of jangling keys that were a hallmark of pro-democracy rallies featuring Václav Havel in 1989.

But the sculpture was commissioned by the multinational telecommunications firm Vodafone, raising the question of whether maneuverings behind the scenes are as much of a statement about the present reality in the Czech Republic as the sculpture itself.

"I have rationalized it internally," David says. "Although this is global money from a global firm,  there are many artists who have been paid from strange sources. I am not saying the Vodafone money is strange, but I mean paid from money of private companies? Then again, maybe that is just an alibi. For me, this is a kind of traumatic moment which I must deal with internally."

Vodafone proposed the project to David in the fall of 2009, and he took a week to think it over, as he had never before worked on commission.

"I was interested [to see] if I was capable of taking on such a challenge," he says.

After receiving a guarantee that he would be free to make whatever he wanted without interference from Vodafone, David signed on.

"I could have taken the keys, melted them and thrown them in the river," he says. "Maybe David Černý would do something like that, but I am not interested in such provocations."

Vodafone collected 85,741 keys as part of the project. David worked on several versions of the sculpture before deciding on the one that was unveiled March 9, and describes the final product as "a 6-meter construction that somehow holds the keys."

The sculpture spells out the word "Revoluce" (Revolution), with the letter "R" at the top and letters increasingly distorted towards the bottom.

"I hope it reflects itself," he says. "I don't know many sculptures that reflect themselves."

David, voted the most influential Czech artist of the past 20 years by his colleagues, has a high-profile résumé. He was a founder of the Tvrdohlaví art group, constructed a glowing heart that was displayed atop Prague Castle (which some claimed made the building resemble a brothel) and installed a crown of thorns that radiated from the top of Rudolfinum concert hall. In recent years, he has taken to photography and writing about art and politics.

"I am very critical of the political situation from the left and the right," he says. "As an artist, I do not have to put it into the work; I can also express myself outside my work. I hope this statue is a general commentary."

David says the sculpture expresses "ambivalence" toward the Czech society of 2010.

That ambivalence, apparently, does not extend to David's opinions on the Czech art scene, and he has particular venom for Milan Knížák, the head of the National Gallery.

"I hope that, after seven years of arguing, the head of the National Gallery will change," David said. "It is very important for Czech art. It is not a joke. I hope he will be ready in April or May, and Knížák will leave."

Outspoken as he may be about the National Gallery and other subjects, David remains unsure of the reaction his newest sculpture will solicit.

"Maybe it will just look like some piece of shit, but I hope not," he says.

The public voted online for the permanent location of the sculpture. There were more than 8,000 suggestions. Prague will be its final resting place, but a specific location has not been chosen. The sculpture will tour the Czech Republic in the coming months.

- Petr Cibulka Jr. contributed to this report.

Benjamin Cunningham can be reached at
bcunningham@praguepost.com