The monument designed for the centenary of the Košice Peace Marathon. (source: Judita Čermáková)
This year, the city of Košice, eastern Slovakia, is commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Košice Peace Marathon. On this occasion, a monument was unveiled in the Košice multi-use cultural centre Kulturpark. The monument consists of a four-metre metal installation of three square objects covered with marathon medals, with a peace dove on top.
The new object in the public space was met with criticism from the professional public, leaving the city's chief architect surprised. The work was created by direct assignment, its placement not discussed with experts at all. The city is silent on the choice of location.
An award-winning park
The site of the former barracks was turned into Kulturpark by the architectural studio zerozero based in Prešov, eastern Slovakia, as part of the European Capital of Culture – Košice 2013 campaign. The reconstruction of the complex lining the historic park cost almost €30 million. Kulturpark won three architectural awards: the prestigious Dušan Jurkovič Award, CEZAAR 2014 and ARCH 2014.
zerozero architect Irakli Eristavi came to see the installation in front of the Kulturpark main building.
"I'm not going to evaluate the artistic qualities, because in my opinion there is not much to evaluate. It absolutely does not fit in this space. If this becomes a trend, it will, to a certain extent, devalue a space that has its own integrity. When something is to be placed there, it should be subject to a selection process and supported by a professional discussion," says the architect.
