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Mirrors of Zlín, Czech Republic by Loom on the Moon

Project name:
Mirrors of Zlín
Architecture firm:
Loom on the Moon
Location:
Sad Svobody, Soudní 1, 760 01 Zlín, Czech Republic
Photography:
BoysPlayNice
Principal architect:
Lenka Hejlová, Martin Hejl, Jan Nálepa
Design team:
Natália Kaňová, Milan Martinec, Long Phi Trieu, Petr Janák, Vojtěch Šálek, Petr Prouza, Pavel Kosatík, Kateřina Šípková, Alexey Klyuykov, Michal Rataj, Matouš Hejl
Collaborators:
Production: byPINK. Graphics: superlative.works.
Built area:
Site area:
36 000 m²
Design year:
2021-2022
Completion year:
2022
Interior design:
Landscape:
Civil engineer:
Structural engineer:
Environmental & MEP:
Lighting:
Material:
Construction:
Visualization:
Tools used:
Client:
Statutory City of Zlín
Status:
Built
Typology:
Cultural › Outdoor Exhibition

Loom on the Moon: The Exhibition The Mirrors of Zlín was created for the occasion of 700 years of history of the city of Zlín, which manifested as a series of multimedia installations in the chateau park.

The first out of the three installations works with the distinctive perspective of writer Pavel Kosatík on the evolution of the city and its surroundings, which we subsequently complemented and summarised with illustrations. This resulted in an intergenerational dialogue between text and image, which are sometimes in harmony and sometimes in contrast. In addition to this narrative part, there are another two installations in the chateau park.

One is an immersive film, an audiovisual experience that allows visitors to inhabit past moments of Zlín in various eras, seasons, lights, in rural times, during a fire, when the railway arrived, during the Bata boom, and also present moments. It is a frame-by-frame painted animation that treats each frame of the film as a painting.

The last permanent installation is the mirrors of Zlín – a lyrical constellation of fluid shapes, poetically placed among the most beautiful trees of Zlín‘s park, whose treetops, flowing sky, and curious passing visitors they reflect. The soul of this part of the installation is a sound composition that is a celebration of the cycle of time, the turning of the seasons, the lengthening and shortening of the days, the moments of equinox and solstice, which functions as an unpredictable, surprising solar calendar or astrological clock. The basis for the music composition that sounds through the park in various phases of the year was a careful mapping and study of the sounds of bells in the belfries of the Zlín Region. Thus the park rings with the vibrations of bell bronze, which creates a scaled-down geographical imprint of the Zlín Region. The individual multi-channel musical compositions and their exact position in time and the year correspond to a study of the movement of the sun and stars.

The sound level is supported with a moving light, which not only provides a visual accompaniment to the mirrors and music but also a poetic and playful alternative to the park‘s night-time lighting. This results in a harmony between the natural and artificial light, between the sound of the park, the musical composition and the passage of time. The Mirrors of Zlín thus becomes an artwork that can exist only in this place, at this time.

Materials: The exhibition is composed of three interconnected elements:

1. Encyclopedia
The Encyclopaedia is a simple wooden wall with a circular ground plan with a total length of about 40 m and a height of 3 m. Its shape adapts to the existing trees it gives way to the eaves line of their crowns, giving the wall a dynamic form. The outer shell is made of mirror-polished steel sheet, and the inner surface of waterproof plywood serves as a surface for the artistic representation of 700 years of Zlín's history.

2. Imerse
The section called Imerse is essentially a simple summer cinema. The projection surface is similar in design to the Encyclopedia – the waterproof plywood skeleton is lined on both sides with plywood panels, and the inner side facing the Encyclopedia is mirrored polished steel sheet. This creates an interesting optical theatre for the audience between the two mirrored surfaces - one flat and the other rounded.

3. Statements
The last element of the exhibition consists of a group of mirrors placed on the lawn between the trees, evoking rain puddles. Even their construction is designed to be lightweight, non-invasive. The base is designed on earth screws that anchor the Statements against being moved and toppled over. A simple thermal and moisture insulated enclosure for the equipment will be placed above the ground surface. The "level" itself is designed as a thin plate with a polished stainless steel sheet surface. The individual elements are varied in shape and size - like real rain puddles.
Inside each element, there is a speaker and lighting technology. The elements are interconnected and synchronised into an immersive installation.

Pavel Kosatík is a Czech writer, scriptwriter and publicist. His work focuses mainly on the modern history of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. He is the author of a number of monographs of important personalities of Czech history and culture. He has won numerous awards.


About studio

We are a creative studio with an exceptional multidisciplinary team. We experiment with story of the space and space of the story. We believe that an unforgettable experience can only be created with passion, intelligence and personal commitment.

We are Loom on the Moon.

We offer a wide range of services, particularly in public buildings, cultural projects, exhibitions, installations and multimedia experiences in sound, movement and light.


By Liliana Alvarez

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