The intersection of city life and relaxation also became the central theme of Riviéra, a cultural program organized jointly by Radio Wave and Art for the City under the umbrella of the Prague City Gallery. “The artworks in the apple orchards are like small oases. Each has its own section of the garden, where people can hide away,” says Agáta Hošnová from Art for the City. She and Rebeka Pojarová co-curated the exhibition around the chateau.
To Grow Through and To Observe
Artist Mia Milgrom supported this concept with her work Birdwatchers—iron sculptures incorporating birdhouses. “The object becomes a potential home for birds, so it is meant not only for visitors but also for the animal inhabitants of the gardens,” Milgrom explains.
“Some of the wooden parts of the installation function as birdhouses. I turned or carved them and then hung them on coiled metal sheets. In Birdwatchers, several motifs meet: a reference to the baroque architecture of the chateau, but also a sense of instability, which fascinates me both physically and conceptually,” she adds.
Symbiosis with the surrounding environment is also central to the work of artist and geobotany student Magdaléna Pacáková, though she took a slightly different approach. She wove a large hollow form from willow twigs — a natural material that can gradually decompose in the garden without becoming invasive. “I liked the idea of endless overgrowth,” says Pacáková, who titled her piece Prorost (Overgrown).
She first began working with willow during her studies at UMPRUM, developing basketry techniques. She was drawn to the material by its resemblance to biological processes she also explores in botany. “What fascinates me about weaving is being able to endlessly join the twigs together, which reminds me of the polymerizing and depolymerizing fibers of cellular structures,” she says, though she notes the material has its limits both in making and in installation.
Artist Antonie Hlavicová also chose willow. Like Pacáková, she was influenced by the atmosphere of the garden itself, which seemed to suggest the use of the material. “I tried to tune in to the Troja gardens and figure out what the place needed in order to create a mutual symbiosis with the installation,” Hlavicová explains. “Willow is wonderfully malleable. Even though it’s fragile, it holds up surprisingly well.”
Her installation is built on a welded metal frame that can be dismantled, providing stability and lifting the structure off the ground to prevent moisture damage. On top of the frame sits a chipboard base, onto which Hlavicová wove a tunnel of peeled and mostly unpeeled willow rods. “As we worked, we tested how the willow behaved and chose to keep the bark on, as it withstands weather longer,” she notes. The tunnel works as a passage or climbing frame for children and adults alike, perfectly aligning with the exhibition’s themes of leisure and play.
On Mushrooms and Music in Troja
Artist František Felix approached the theme of leisure in his own way. His work Na houby (On Mushrooms) reflects the ecological and recreational dimensions of Czech cottage and mushroom-picking traditions. The interactive installation features 23 species of Czech fungi — and “it can also function as a bench,” adds Hošnová.
Riviéra followed last year’s series Opulence, which thematized hedonism and excess in the Troja gardens. Once again, Art for the City joined forces with Radio Wave, which contributed music programming and discussions. Over the course of three summer evenings, Riviéra presented the participating Czech visual artists alongside Czech musicians.
“We recognize that the visual and musical programs of Riviéra attract similar audiences, which is one reason for our collaboration. We also wanted to support each other, since both of us aim at younger audiences and try to address themes sensitively,” explains Hošnová. She adds that the art installations in the Troja Chateau gardens are planned to remain in place for at least a year.
