Exhibition of Virtues and Vices of Our Time at the EPO1 in Trutnov

A set of 12 large-scale sculptures utilizes an atypical approach to innovative concrete 3D printing technology, pushing its possibilities through a series of experiments while also enriching it with authorial handcrafting.

The entire series is based on the basic sculptural archetypes of Chochola's work and stylistically oscillates between antiquity, cubism, post-apocalyptic motifs, sci-fi, and brutalism. The composition of the sculptures evokes the ruins of a temple or a game of chess.

Individual objects reference the characters of iconic Braun sculptures and reinterpret their meaning for our time, which lacks a clearly defined code of virtues and vices that existed in the Baroque era, through the shortcut of 3D printing.

"The sculptures and their unique characters, relationships, and references to various historical styles, cultures, or values do not have a clear connection; they are incorporated into the sculptures loosely. They carry both positive and negative qualities, mixed in an original cocktail. In this regard, they are similar to us, humans," notes their author. Matyáš Chochola thus leaves it to each of us to find our own personal relationship to individual allegories and to discover their unique cryptographic significance. The work will only be completed by the viewer. However, the working titles of the sculptures are: Mace I and Mace II, Anemone, Totem, Tires, Brutalist, Cubist, Basalt, Baobab, Picasso, Tree Spirit, and Meteor.

Each sculpture stands 3-4 meters tall and weighs around 1 ton of compressed concrete. By making subsequent manual interventions to the finished print using additional materials such as glass, pigments, and bronze, Chochola emphasizes manipulation with the print itself and its craft and creative processing.

In designing individual sculptures in collaboration with the Voxell team, which specializes in architectural and design projects, maximum attention was paid to utilizing the potential of concrete 3D printing and overcoming its boundaries beyond the usual conceivable limits. This approach led to a series of experiments and innovations that are directly reflected in the final appearance of the sculptures.

Shapes that could not be achieved within the printable angles were supported with expanded clay, which embedded itself directly into the structure and surface of the sculptures. Elsewhere, the sculptures were divided into individual segments, printed in horizontal and vertical directions, and then refined and assembled together. Algorithms simulating printing errors and so-called glitches were used to program the printing paths, and manual interventions and uncontrollable shaping of forms occurred directly during the printing process.

Currently, the sculptures are presented at the EPO1 Center for Contemporary Art in Trutnov, whose industrial architecture has been awarded the Building of the Year 2023 prize. The sculptures are intended for permanent placement in a quality architectural whole that will facilitate a dialogue between the public space and architecture.

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Virtues and Vices of Our Time

Location: EP01, Elektrárenská 322, 541 03 Trutnov - Poříčí
Date: December 13, 2024 - March 30, 2025
Website: www.epo1.cz
Author: Matyáš Chochola
Exhibition Curator: Danica Kovářová
Architectural Supervision: MArch Ing. arch. Ing Jiří Vítek
Producer: Voxell
Photography: Vojtěch Veškrna

The project was realized thanks to the financial support of private investors who covered the costs of producing the individual sculptures with their investment and who will subsequently receive a share of the sales of the sculpture cycle as a whole.