From 7. 6. 2024
The term “Auriossa” was coined by combining the Latin word for ear(auris) and bone(ossa). Sculptor and designer Michal Cimala chose it as the name for his latest work of art – Bedřich Smetana’s monument situated in the park near the Smetana House in Litomyšl. Cimala’s work is characterised by a deep reflection of the present, which is visible especially in his specific figurative sculpture. In the case of the statue for Litomyšl, however, the author abandons the figure because he does not necessarily need to name the unknown. He works with the familiar life story of the famed composer. Instead of depicting the obvious facts, however, the author resorts to deconstructing it, borrowing only one of the most important aspects of the narrative we know from textbooks or scholarly texts: the composer’s gradual loss of hearing. He was inspired by the 2001 book Bedřich Smetana – Physical Personality and Deafness by the Czech anthropologist Emanuel Vlček, specifically by the drawings of ear bones: the malleus, the incus, the stapes.
The book Bedřich Smetana – physical personality and deafness by Emanuel Vlček can be purchased at the ticket office of the Litomyšl Town Gallery (110 Smetana’s Square).
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony:
7 June 2024 at 7pm
Address:
City exterior, Park near the Smetana House, Komenského Square 402, Litomyšl
