Cheeky Cerny

From the moment you arrive in Prague, you are exposed to the work of David Cerny, whether you know the name or not. Amid the harvest-colored rooftops, the futuristic Zizkov tower breaks the city skyline like an alien implant, demanding a double-take from all of those who have never laid eyes on it. On closer inspection, when you discover that those obscure black blobs on the tower are actually enormous, faceless babies, it becomes even more absurd.

But that’s Cerny for you. And I, for one, love it. It’s ludicrous, insane, provocative, and ballsy. I’m not here to carry on some debate about whether his works are art or not, whether it is appropriate and fitting. But what I like is that they all elicit some sort of reaction other than “Oh, that is so beautiful.” It shocks, strikes up laughter, or does both to the many observers, and there’s great fun to be found. The uptight may condemn the political incorrectness of it all, but I find the lack of propriety to be utterly refreshing. Entropa, Cerny’s latest in a long line of controversial pieces, represented the 27 nations of the European Union in each of their stereotypes. While Cerny came under fire for the creation and the Czech presidency had to endure the public embarrassment of having been duped (oh, it's all very sordid - google the story for the not-so-juicy details), Entropa and the discussions that followed it were far more intriguing than anything else that could have been commissioned.

A friend’s recent visit pushed me to do all the tourist-y things that I had put off till now, like visiting Prague Castle and all the various museums that litter the city. After finally seeing the castle, we walked over to the Kafka Museum, where another Cerny masterpiece is displayed. Proudy shows two men urinating into a puddle shaped like the Czech Republic, swiveling their hips to spell out famous quotes. The sculpture is constantly surrounded by laughing visitors whipping out their cameras for a photo or two, and I admit I was one of them! It certainly isn’t your typical fountain display.