There are sacred moments when human existence deeply touches our souls. A twinkle when time stands still, a curtain hem ripples in a gentle breeze, and sunrays draw images on the walls. Such instances create a peculiar inner space and give us the chance to savour it to the core of our hearts. While we are surrounded by things, forms, and colours, it is indeed relationships and people that give us value and anchor us to the ground. In Maxim Velčovský’s installation Veranda, the tangible world and emotions are intertwined. The artwork conveys an experience where awe meets calm, and individuality goes hand in hand with togetherness. It captures the moment when we, as unique beings, sense that we belong to something greater that transcends us.
The installation turns around the central table, which is continuously changing: the table top is rising from the height of a children’s table up to that of a bar counter. The slow gradation is not a mere formal gesture; rather, it serves as a metaphor for growth, transformation, and the passage of time, from the first children’s bord games though family and friends’ gatherings around the table to informal discussions at the counter. The table thus connects – both literally and virtually – the individual stages of human life and different ways of sharing. People sit next to each other, join each other, only to walk away after a while and let others take their place, all in a single uninterrupted gesture.
The installation creates a free space embracing every visitor who has been lured by design into the Trade Fair Palace. Here, design serves as the connecting medium, and the table as its symbol.
The exhibition has been prepared in co-production of DesignBlok and National Gallery Prague for the 28th International Design Festival.
Exhibition curator: Michaela Kádnerová, Moravian Gallery Brno
Curator for National Gallery Prague: Michal Novotný
Exhibition co-producers: DesignBlok, National Gallery Prague
Main Exhibition Partner: KKCG Real Estate
Exhibition partner: Ton a.s.
Contractor: PFNonwovens Czech s.r.o.
