About project
The audio-visual project The Grief of Misfit Cathedrals deals with the phenomenon of abandoned industrial complexes that, after losing their original function, become solitary residences in urban space. The linear audiovisual work is processed in the form of an experimental immersive film format using multi-channel surround sound. It focuses on the current state of architectural artefacts that have turned into remarkable concrete skeletons with bizarre shapes. These buildings become sculptures. They represent a symbolic object, but also mirror the passage of time.
But the abandoned complexes are not mere physical structures. They are also cultural artefacts. They carry the history, changes and influences of different social forces. The melancholic beauty of the objects is transient and changeable. Reconciliation with extinction is possible, necessary and effective. This is aptly described by the Japanese term mono no aware, expressing the melancholic awareness of the beauty and transience of everything around us.
The Grief of Misfit Cathedrals explores the existence of the object without function, the memory of place and the aesthetic value of decay as part of the urban environment. The sites are captured through the lens of 3D scans, preserving their aesthetics at least in part. The artwork thus captures an inevitably disappearing past, but may also have implications for the future of the cultural landscape.
Kunsthalle Praha
A new space for art in the centre of Prague, founded by The Pudil Family Foundation as a non-governmental, non-profit platform for linking the Czech and international art scenes. Kunsthalle Praha was created by converting the Zenger Electrical Substation, built in the 1930s, into a modern gallery space for short-term exhibitions, cultural events, and innovative educational programmes. Kunsthalle opened its doors to the public on 22 February 2022 with the major multi-media exhibition Kinetismus: 100 Years of Electricity in Art, curated by art theorist Peter Weibel and chief curator Christelle Havranek. With a total floor space of 5,687 m2, Kunsthalle Praha includes three large gallery spaces, a design shop, a bistro, and a café with a historic terrace. The Kunsthalle Praha building won the main prize of the 2022 Grand Prix of Architects — National Architecture Award.
