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And Yet It Turns!
Mladá Boleslav will receive a unique work of art for its restored station, created as the result of an open competition organised by the Škoda Auto Endowment Fund and the Railway Administration.
The aim of the project was not only to select an artwork for the new station, but also to contribute to the cultivation of public space and open a debate about the character of Mladá Boleslav and its identity. The competition brief was developed in part on the basis of a survey among prominent figures from the social, cultural and professional life of Mladá Boleslav. Their responses described the city as a place of contrasts – historic yet modern, industrial yet natural, economically successful while still searching for its own identity in the public realm.
A total of 107 individuals and creative teams from the Czech Republic and abroad entered the competition, with an expert jury selecting five finalists in the first round.
The Točna will engage its surroundings and passengers alike.
After several months of work by the finalists, the jury unanimously awarded first place to the proposal Točna by Tomáš Džadoň.
The work features a circular turntable with a diameter of 8.5 metres, which rotates slowly and irregularly and is safe for all generations of passengers, including children, elderly people and those with disabilities.
The moving surface incorporates a bench and a lamp, with the station's visitors themselves also forming part of the scene.
The work therefore does not create a conventional landmark or monument but quietly transforms the way people perceive and use the space. It draws inspiration both from the industrial environment that is inextricably linked with Mladá Boleslav, and from railway history and the turntables once found at stations.
"The project near Mladá Boleslav railway station is part of our long-term effort to support quality public spaces in the regions where we operate. We believe that contemporary art belongs there just as naturally as quality architecture or greenery. I am pleased that, thanks to the open competition, we were able to find a proposal that responds to the character of Mladá Boleslav while also bringing a contemporary and confident vision of what public space in the 21st century can look like," says Ladislav Kučera, Director of the Škoda Auto Endowment fund.