National Theatre´s Piazzetta
Michal Gabriel
Sculptor and university teacher, ex-dean of Faculty of Fine Arts in Brno (University of Technology). Graduated from SUPŠ and AVU in Prague, in 1987 co-established the famous informal art group Tvrdohlaví. Since 1998, Michal has been working as senior lecturer at Faculty of Fine Arts in Brno and teaches at UMPRUM in Prague. In 1995, he was awarded the prestigious Jindřich Chalupecký award. In 2009, Michal was appointed a professor.
Horses
“The horses on the piazzetta of the National Theatre belong to the project of four horses, one of which is bearing a rider. I created this group in several variants: in red laminate which stands out in the landscape due to unrealistic colour, in another case I used a structure made from peanut shells. However, the sculptures could not be exhibited in the exterior, so there was no choice but to start recasting them gradually in bronze. The first two horses of this series are now situated in front of the New Stage building as a part of the Sculpture Line 2016 project. This location turned out to be not only visually appealing but also very symbolic. It is impossible to omit the connection with the sculptures decorating the roof of the National Theatre; moreover, the horses are located at the junction between the New Stage and the Old Stage, which corresponds with their nature. They are conceived as a traditional sculpture but their impression bears a considerable measure of update of this topic.”
Installation
