While Clermont-Ferrand has been shortlisted alongside Bourges, Montpellier and Rouen to become European Capital of Culture in 2028, the historic capital of Auvergne is now turning its attention to the Czech Republic, where ?eské Bud?jovice has been named the winner for the same year. Born in Prague, who came to Paris in 1968 before setting up his own forge in a vast building in Thiers in the 1980s, sculptor Vladimír Škoda is thus particularly pampered, exhibiting in nine venues alongside a Czech season linked to this candidacy. While the development of his work is largely driven by his exploration of molten metal through forging processes, its distribution across several spaces suits him well. The installation of his vast Sphère de ciel at the Hôtel de Chazerat or the suspension of his poetic Miroir du temps (turning) in the Rue du Terrail, reflecting his architecture in its concave and convex faces, engage the public dimension of his art. Whether showing the continuity of his quest for the transformation of matter through forging, engraving and drawing at Salle Gilbert-Gaillard or focusing on the motif of the ball and reflection at Galerie Claire Gastaud, the ensembles of works offer a perspective of experimentation.

Excerpt from an article by Tom Laurent to be published in Art magazine N°108 Absolument.


Locations :
Salle Gilbert-Gaillard / Chapelle des Cordeliers / Galerie Claire Gastaud / Hôtel Fontfreyde – centre photographique / DRAC Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Hôtel de Chazerat / rue du Terrail, Clermont-Ferrand et Creux de l’Enfer / Place Antonin Chastel, Thiers.

exhibition's website