Prague ventilation sculpture sparks artistic controversy

A newly installed ventilation exhaust on Jiřího z Poděbrad Square in Prague has become the centre of a heated debate. Architects and art critics argue that its form closely resembles works by the late Czech artist John Hejduk, with Daniel Liebeskind stating that the original Hejduk monuments are “memorials whose form is inseparable from the history they embody.”

Proponents of the installation, including architect Miroslav Cikán of the MCA studio, describe the piece as a technically‑processed object rather than a sculpture, asserting that it improves air flow from the metro by directing it upward. Critics such as Jan Charvát contend that the similarity to Hejduk’s work is artificially exaggerated, and that the former structure was removed for health reasons because it expelled polluted air onto pedestrians. The city’s metro project required a new design, as redesign of the old construction was deemed impossible.

The dispute highlights broader questions about the line between functional infrastructure and public art in Prague’s urban landscape.