Adam Vackar    News    Projects    Texts    Contact    





PUBLIC COMISSION
Empire
Motol Hospital, Prague
October 2022





Installation in the public space of Motol Hospital, the main hospital in Prague, realized during the final phase of the coronavirus pandemic, served as a test of public reaction to the presence of the Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum). I was curious how people, influenced by the media campaign against this plant, would respond to its representation within the framework of visual art’s public project.

I didn’t have to wait long for a reaction. During the opening of the exhibition, an elderly woman—an employee of the hospital—approached me and, clearly affected by transposed fear stemming from the pandemic, demanded the immediate removal of the plant installation. A week later, following her report, I received a threatening letter from the Ministry of the Environment, calling for the immediate removal of the plant under the threat of a fine of up to 300,000 euros.

This incident became for me not only a probe into public consciousness and the emotional transference of fear but also an unexpected entry into the complex legislative system surrounding invasive species. As I later discovered, the legal framework governing the handling of Giant Hogweed is extensive and highly detailed.