Whale Skeleton That Lights Up at Night Appears on Wenceslas Square

Under the statue of St. Wenceslas on Prague’s Wenceslas Square, a canvas construction depicting a whale skeleton was installed on Monday. It’s the same skeleton that has been hung up in the National Museum for over a hundred years. It will be displayed in the city center for about two weeks. 

“The main visual motif of the art piece is the whale skeleton, which is divided into three topological visual fields and interconnected by nerve fibers and special cables” explained the artist Jiří David.

The art project, which is called “Do you miss the whale?” is based on the concept that the museum’s whale skeleton has not been seen by the public since 2011 when the building began renovations. 

According to the artist, the installation has two forms. During the day, only the skeleton of the whale is able to be seen on the canvas, but at night, the marine mammal will appear to move.

“In the evening, the diode wall illuminates in the middle, and mirrors are placed in such a way that it creates the illusion that the whale’s fins are moving,” David explained.

The work was inspired by the whale skeleton which has been suspended for 125 years from the ceiling of one of the halls of the historic National Museum.  

The artistic installation will be displayed to the public on Wenceslas Square for approximately two weeks. Subsequently, the National Museum will be reopened to the public on October 28. 

Author: Holly Webb