Graffiti mural at Prague’s Výstaviště will support charities helping families

 A large graffiti mural will be at Prague’s Výstaviště in Holešovice until planned renovations of the Křižík Pavilions begin.

The 450-square-meter graffiti mural on one of the walls of one of the Křižík Pavilions was created by Tron and X-Dog, otherwise known as Michal Škapa and Ondřej Vyhnánek.

“We drew inspiration from sci-fi literature, scientific drawings and comics, and of course we are stylistically based on our graffiti roots, even though we are already experienced in large-format paintings,” Vyhnánek said.

Once the renovations start, part of the work will be moved to Kampa, where the auction of individual boards will take place in December. Proceeds will go to non-profit organizations. The project was created in collaboration with the City of Prague, Výstaviště Praha and the authors.

The two artists created the mural in under a week. They said it was a rare opportunity to use an architectural monument. “An area of this size is always a challenge and the Křižík Pavilions are a completely unique space. In addition, the entire mural has a very short shelf life due to the coming planned reconstruction, and only a few fragments will be preserved, which will then serve good things,” Škapa said.

The painting depicts a mythical lost city, according to its authors. A head composed of fragments, about to breathe new life into the metropolis, holds a spark in its hand and swirls the whole universe around it. The combination of the world of technology and fantastic vision are connected into one original artistic whole, but even after disassembly, the selected plates intended for auction will function as a separate work of art.

Prague City Hall is behind the project both organizationally and financially. “The Křižík Pavilions are gradually undergoing a planned renovation, which has already begun in some areas. We consider the use of the existing areas for a less traditional artistic endeavor and subsequently also for a charitable purpose to be very meaningful,” City Councilor Jan Chabr (United Force for Prague), responsible for property management, said.

“Of course, in these difficult times, the city is very rigorous in addressing which costs to reduce, but in this case we decided to support the project due to the return on project costs toward those who got into financial distress due to the coronavirus crisis,” he added.

Ten selected panels will be auctioned and the proceeds will go to support two groups helping families in financial distress due to the coronavirus crisis: the Club of Single Mothers (Klubu svobodných matek) and Pink Bubble, which helps children, their families and young people in the fight against cancer.

“Part of the work will be exhibited in Museum Kampa in November, where not only visitors to the museum but also those interested in the auction, which will take place in December, will be able to see it,” Jiří Pospíšil, chairman of the Jan and Meda Mládek Foundation, said.

“I always enjoy the combination of art and charity auctions and I am glad that Museum Kampa can be a part of this activity,” he added.

Výstaviště Praha board chairman Tomáš Hübl praised the cooperation with Škapa and Vyhnánek. “The result is worth it; 450 square meters is a huge area, but the authors have dealt with it in a short time. We expect that the project will appeal not only to the young generation interested in an alternative way of creation, but also to patrons who will be actively involved in the auction,” Hübl said.

In the next two weeks, the project will be supported by a social media campaign that will present the project to the general public. Visitors will be able to come to Výstaviště to see the work at least until December this year. The financial costs of the capital were approximately 900,000 CZK.

This is not the only large mural to debut in Prague recently. One of the world’s largest murals was unveiled near Václav Havel Airport Prague in July, also by Škapa. There is also the Lennon Wall, which reopened in November 2019 with a new mural made by artists after renovations.