Patrik Proško

Noshape is a variable object that changes its form, meaning, and relationship to the surrounding space with each installation. It is made of sheet metal, yet its surface and the way it is deformed make it resemble crumpled paper or another lightweight material. This material ambiguity is an integral part of the work: at first glance, the object appears to be something other than what it actually is. In its third configuration, it was created for the cloister of the Gothic Minorite monastery in Jindřichův Hradec. Here, the object ceased to function merely as a solitary sculpture and became a physical obstacle. It completely blocked the passage through the corridor, forcing visitors to change direction, walk around the entire cloister, and experience the exhibition in a predetermined sequence. Its form also responded to the Gothic wall painting of a monk bearing the inscription Memento mori at the end of the corridor. From a particular viewpoint, the two images merged, making the deformed mass of Noshape appear to grow directly beneath the figure of the monk. The work thus engaged not only with its own mutable form, but also with the architecture, the movement of the visitor, and the way in which the meaning of the work gradually unfolds through space.