25 Jun 2011

New work by Kristof Kintera - Memento Mori: 'Of One's Own Volition'

Following a test run lasting approximately three weeks, Krištof Kintera's work Memento Mori: 'Of One's Own Volition' was officially launched at a lighting ceremony on Thursday June 23rd at 8 pm. Employing a minimal sculptural gesture, the work invites passers-by to turn their eyes upwards and spend a quiet moment contemplating life's ups and downs which in certain tragic cases cause people to make irreversible decisions.

Symbolically, Kintera's sculpture is located beneath the Nusle Bridge from which hundreds of people have plummeted to their deaths over the course of the artist's life. Incomplete, official statistics give figures in the range of 200 – 300 suicides.

Memento Mori: 'Of One's Own Volition' is not the only artwork of its kind in Kintera's artistic practice. A close 'relative' is to be found in Tiburg in the Netherlands, where he used a similar approach to produce the work 'Miracle'.

The Prague installation will be accompanied by a website presenting two opposing views on the voluntary termination of life, a list of crisis intervention centres, a discussion forum, photographic documentation and other contributions concerning this sensitive subject.

Memento Mori: 'Of One's Own Volition' is located in the Folimanka Park beneath Nusle Bridge (in the direction of the Folimanka stadium).