The drawing “Ecstatic Figure”
Dominating the altar placed on the podium of the Prague Crossroads, this drawing is the work of the distinguished Czech artist Adriena Šimotová, one of the leading figures of Czech post-war art, whose oeuvre encompasses drawing, painting and sculpture.
Vases
The vases that help create the magical atmosphere of the Prague Crossroads are the work of Bořek Šípek, the world-renowned Czech artist, architect, designer and university teacher. For more details about the work of the architect Bořek Šípek see his web presentation www.boreksipek.cz.
Statue of a Plaster Dwarf and the red Heart
The statue of a plaster dwarf and red Heart is the work of the leading Czech sculptor, Professor Kurt Gebauer. For more details about his work see his official internet presentation at www.kurtgebauer.cz.
Crystal touch
The handprint of Václav Havel was created in reflection of the master skills of Czech glassmakers in honour of the great Czech and European. On one hand, Mr. Václav Havel himself contributed to the final form of this artistic artefact with his handprint, a quote of one of his statements and comments on the design, and on the other hand the young artist, glassmaker Jan Huňát, contributed with his invention and unique technology, depicting the authenticity of every detail of the palm.
A “totem pole” dedicated to the memory of President Václav Havel
During the week of final farewells with President Václav Havel in December 2011 an enormous number of wreaths and flowers from people all over the world accumulated at the Prague Crossroads. Most of them bore ribbons with dedications and messages, which Dagmar Havlová carefully saved. The former castle architect Bořek Šípek subsequently came up with a splendid idea for using the mourning ribbons and preserving them for posterity. The result was a unique work of art consisting of seven different glass shapes in which the ribbons have been placed. This original artefact, resembling a totem pole, was donated by Bořek Šípek to the Dagmar and Václav Havel Foundation VIZE 97.
A Heart for Václav Havel – the plinth
A Heart for Václav Havel is a sculpture created from the wax of the candles burnt in memory of Václav Havel in streets and squares throughout the Czech Republic following his death. The artists, Lukáš Gavlovský and Roman Švejda, managed to obtain 2300 kilogramsm of wax – from about half of the estimated number of half-burnt candles. A sculpture in the shape of an open heart, which one may enter, was created with the help of many volunteers. For technical reasons it stood on a plinth. For two months not only the wax sculpture but also the plinth suffered every possible consequence of standing in an unprotected public place. The people who came to the Heart and touched it from outside and inside, trod increasing amounts of dust from the streets, as well as flakes of wax, into the plinth. When the sculpture was disassembled, an image appeared, created inadvertently by the thousands of people who visited the Heart for Václav Havel.
