Sculptural Group 'Market and Slaughterhouse' in front of Holešovická Market in Prague

The monumental sculptural group 'Market and Slaughterhouse' by Adam Trbuška (chief technologist at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague) and Arthur Magrot (from the 3D Centre at AVU) is the winning work of an open call for the 'Art for the City' programme, which falls under the Gallery of the City of Prague. A total of 45 artists submitted entries; the winning work received a financial award of 30,000 CZK. The official opening and unveiling of the sculptural group took place on 11 September 2025 from 18:00 directly in the Holešovická Market area, attended by the artists, representatives of the Gallery of the City of Prague, and market management. The installation is planned for one year, until 11 September 2026. The sculptural group thematizes the phenomenon of 'bull' and 'bear' markets – economic models symbolizing prosperity and crisis. The bull with its neck raised stands in contrast to the bear, whose fall embodies decline and hardship. The artists place these opposing figures in direct dialogue with the iconic bull standing at the market entrance from the Karlín side. Part of the installation includes a fragment of the original plinth, which serves as a symbolic gateway to the world of the market and also functions as a place to sit. The work builds on the historical allegorical sculptures 'Market and Slaughterhouse' by Bohuslav Schnirch and Čeněk Vosmík from 1894, located at the main entrance from Bubenské nábřeží. The sculptural group replaced the previous interactive wooden installation 'Karlín Raft' by Adam Kovalčík, which was relocated to the Baden Baden beach on Štvanice.