Pavel Doskočil – ATLAS

The title ancient Atlas bends under the weight of the sky that he was condemned to hold up. The artist from the Czech Republic alters traditional depictions of the mythological figure and presents the Titan in a simple, geometric form. Doskočil combines basic spatial modules and creates an object that imitates concrete engineering structures. The construction is placed in such a way that there is nothing but open space behind it, whereas the weight held up by the giant is the sky above him. Its modernist form makes the sculpture a foreign body in the Lublin Old Town. However, in a unique way it does correspond with the ruins of the church of St. Michael. Similarly to the low stone walls in place of foundations, reminiscent of the nonexistent sacred building, the figure of Atlas carrying an invisible weight raises questions about the meaning of space above him. The experience of absence converges with the query about the transcendent complement evoked by the sacred context.