In Litomyšl, there are 11 sculptures by Jaroslav Róna standing in the open air throughout the town

Litomyšl – Until the end of October, people in Litomyšl will meet at various locations with the sculptures of Jaroslav Róna. The artist today opened his exhibition titled Silence and Myths in the Church of the Finding of the Holy Cross on the castle hill. A total of 11 of his monumental works are placed in the city's public outdoor space.

Róna is exhibiting sculptures that have been created over the past 15 years. One, called Medusa, is new and was created specifically for this exhibition project. The artist chose the locations where his works stand together with his wife, who is also an artist. According to him, the sculptures have a special connection to the space where they are placed, and their arrangement has its intent.

Among them is, for example, a bronze sculpture called Rhinoceros, which is more than three meters tall and was originally exhibited in 2020 at Jungmann Square in Prague. It is located in the courtyard of the Litomyšl castle. The light spots on its surface were caused by sea salt during its exhibition in Venice. Róna was inspired by the armoring of the rhinoceros for its creation. "Actually, I wanted to make a funny little statue," Róna said.

In the castle courtyard, there is also his bronze Vertical Robot. Its unusual narrow and tall dimensions were caused by the fact that the private client of the sculpture had only a similarly sized space for its display. "Then they closed it, and the sculpture remained with me," the author commented on its fate.

Other bronze works can be found, for example, at Water Ramparts, near the Regional Museum, at Smetana Square, and in the Cloister Gardens. A map of their placement and further information can be found on the website of the exhibition organized by the Municipal Gallery of Litomyšl.

Róna is mainly known for his monumental sculptures located in Prague or at Klenová Castle near Klatovy, as well as abroad in Crete. The artist's free sculptures and sculptural interventions in urban exteriors are characterized by clearly defined, massive forms and content drawing from mythology, history, and archetypes. "The core of his sculpture lies in the figure through which the author reflects his imagination rather than reality, embodied in symbolic humanoid and animal beings," stated the gallery. The artist also works as a painter, artistic glassmaker, graphic artist, or scenographer, and is involved in the production of the Litomyšlfest film festival.