The Landscape Festival focuses on landscapes, urban areas and public spaces. This year’s event presents the city of Ostrava in a new environmental context, based around the core concept of reviving, redefining and interconnecting several sites along a route traversing from the historical centre to the Lower Vítkovice site (Dolní oblast Vítkovice). We are specifically seeking short-term intervention projects, thematic and performance-based reinvigoration efforts, small additions to the urban landscape, site-specific installations, temporary architectural projects, and also long-term landscaping and site revival projects.
At the start of 2019, as part of efforts connected with the 7th annual Landscape Festival, an open call was announced for projects to temporarily breathe new life into specific locations around Ostrava. The open call was targeted at all artists and creatives working in fields pertaining to the revival of public spaces, urban planning, architecture, landscape architecture, public space art and design, environmental art etc. Both individual and group/collective applications from artists were permitted.
On 11.03.2019 a jury met comprised of the following members:
Ing. arch. Pavel Řihák / Department of Architecture, Faculty of Construction VŠB – Technical University of Ostrava (standing in for Doc. Ing. Martina Peřinková, Ph.D., who excused herself from attending)
Doc. MgA. František Kowolowski / Faculty of Arts, University of Ostrava
Ing. Daniel Matějka, Ph.D. / Faculty of Horticulture, Mendel University in Brno
Mgr. Kateřina Šebestová / Statutory city of Ostrava
JUDr. Lukáš Jansa / Moravská Ostrava and Přívoz Municipal District
Mgr. Dan Merta / Jaroslav Fragner Gallery
Ing. Jakub Hepp / Landscape Festival
The jury evaluated 61 submitted project applications, and subsequently selected the following winners for specific localities around Ostrava:
Locality no. 1: CONFLUENCE OF THE OSTRAVICE AND LUČINA RIVERS
Krasohled (Kaleidoscope), MÓD architekti
Locality no. 2: ČERNÁ LOUKA
Černá louka (Black Meadow), atelier38
Locality no. 3: PARK BEHIND THE DŮM UMĚNÍ (HOUSE OF ART)
No proposals were found to meet jury criteria.
Locality no. 4: GROUNDS OF THE OSTRAVA CITY HOSPITAL
Záhon z Ostravy (Ostrava Flowerbed), Ing. Jan Waldhauser
Locality no. 5: CIRCULAR ENCLOSURE AT THE DR. MILADA HORÁKOVÁ GARDENS
Zapomenuté krematorium (Forgotten Crematorium), ADEA projekt s.r.o. (Ing. arch. Marek Rynda, Adéla Balnerová, Ing. arch. Aleš Vojtasík)
Locality no. 6: PARK IN ŽELEZÁRENSKÁ STREET
Rozhledna (Observation tower), ADEA projekt s.r.o.
Locality no. 7: AMBER TRAIL SURROUNDINGS
No proposals were found to meet jury criteria.
The projects “People´s pilíř” (Pillar for the People), “Zahrada zahrad” (Garden of Gardens) and “Po černé” (Along the Black...) were found to offer inspiring ideas, and their potential installation in other localities will be consulted with the festival organisers. Submissions were evaluated by the jury with deference to the knowledge and experiences of its members. Necessarily, the jury’s findings are therefore entirely subjective. Participants consented to this form of evaluation as part of the application process.
This installation offers visitors the opportunity of a moment of thoughtful pause and serenity during their daily regular traverse through this area. At the same time, it demonstrates that new values and deeper meanings can be found in hitherto neglected areas, offering a new and unique identity for the city and its surroundings.
LIVESTOCK MARKET… COAL… SOOT… EXHIBITIONS… GREENERY, LOTS OF GREENERY Architects Christo and Jeanne-Claude are renowned for wrapping buildings in white canvas so as to highlight the respective values contained in such structures – otherwise long since taken for granted by the public. Now the pair will “wrap” the green spaces at Black Meadow with netting. The aim: to underscore that Ostrava really is a green city...
Can Ostrava be interconnected via a single flowerbed? Can such landscaping help present the city as a unified whole? To take something from each of its parts, and then to reassemble these into one large raised garden bed? The Ostrava Flowerbed says “yes”!
The central thought behind this concept was to create a reminder of the site’s former purpose, as well as to return a sense of dignity to the area. Today, very few people are aware that this was previously the site of a municipal cemetery, and thus a sacred final resting place. The former cemetery was dominated by a cubist crematorium building designed by architect Vlastislav Hofman, located right in the centre of the circular enclosure.
The design was inspired by the city of Ostrava itself, which boasts a terrific view of the Lower Vítkovice area (Dolní oblast Vítkovice). The observation tower depicts an abstract flame – a quintessential component of the history of the city. The structure’s organic curves contrast with the sharp contours of the surrounding industrial terrain. At the same time, the structure is built in such a way as to enable visitors to partake in consolidating its overall impact – visitors can append wires, twigs, and hang messages and locks.
This jetty installation was designed to offer a place for relaxation along the river pathway – which has thus far lacked any kind of seating facilities for the public. The work is also designed to highlight the inherent potential of the area, going beyond its current function as a transit route for cyclists. The “pillar” serves as a plane where people can sit on its wooden surface. It invites visitors to populate or “nest” the space, with the option of brining one’s own pillows or blankets. All this with a view to promoting the recreational potential of the river that flows through the city. Water channels life into urban spaces – and now the time has come for the inhabitants of the city to step out and enjoyed the riverside for rest and relaxation.
The dreamlike treasures of the hidden garden is a familiar concept around the world. From the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, to Christian depictions of the Hortus conclusus (“enclosed garden”), to the mythical table top mountain of Curupira (or Kurupira), to Japanese roji-niwa gardens (tea garden or passage garden), to Czech writer-illustrator Jiří Trnka’s 1962 children’s story Zahrada (Garden). Lush, living worlds hidden behind walls; secret spaces separate from the everyday; the manifestation of the imagination and storybook fantasies; magical places of wonder – the aim of this project is to create a secret garden within the city of Ostrava. The garden aims to be lush, wild, colourful and stimulating. It will be separated from the regular world via a transparent membrane, enabling the garden’s atmosphere to radiate outward – just a little. Visitors will be able to sense the garden, but much will still be left to the imagination.
The Landscape Festival interconnects Ostrava’s historic city centre with Lower Vítkovice (Dolní oblast Vítkovice) and the district of Mariánské Hory. Given the expanse of the areas in question, tourist information signs represent a solution to uniformly denote its individual components. And what city other than Ostrava could offer a black-coloured tourist trail – take a trip along the Black trail...!!