A new artwork has been installed at the open-air Šilingrák Gallery on Šilingrovo namesti: a sculpture by Michal Gabriel called Mowgli, based on the main character of The Jungle Book, by British writer Rudyard Kipling. The statue is the seventh sculptural installation hosted at the location.
Gabriel, who heads the Sculpture Studio at the Faculty of Fine Arts of Brno Technical University (BUT), created the bronze statue of Mowgli sitting on a feline beast in 2020. It is the fourth of Gabriel’s works to be presented in the outdoor gallery.
“We had several designs to choose from,” said the mayor of Brno-střed, Vojtěch Mencl (ODS). “The work of Michal Gabriel, who is one of the most important personalities of the Czech art scene, appealed to us the most. The author’s sculptures have already been popular with visitors to the Šilingrák Gallery in the past. He has already presented the installations ‘’Smečka’, ‘Hejno’ and ‘Zraloci’ on the square. I believe that Mowgli will be similarly popular.”
The bronze Mowgli will remain in the city centre for at least a year. It is the seventh sculpture that has been presented in the seven years of Galerie Šilingrák’s operation. In addition to Gabriel’s works, these include ‘Mezi kruhy’ by the artistic blacksmith Pavel Tasovský, ‘The Capsule’ by the sculptor Tomáš Medek, and most recently the statue of the Guardians by Pavel Tasovský junior.
Šilingrák Outdoor Gallery is not the only location in Brno-střed being enlivened with street art by the district’s contributory organisation Kávéeska. “The same concept of a public gallery where artists rotate regularly is in operation in Rimske namesti. We have been operating the Římák Gallery there since 2022. We are currently preparing a new installation, which we would like to present to the public at the beginning of next year,” said Roman Kotěra (ODS), 3rd deputy mayor of Brno-střed, responsible for the area of culture.
