On the Ledge of Silence

„On the Ledge of Silence“ It is a reflection on a tragic event that shook the entire society. The work was created as a deep reaction to the terrorist attack that took place on December 21, 2023 at the Faculty of Arts of Charles University in Prague. The attack by an active shooter claimed 14 innocent victims among the students. A symbolic processing of one of the most powerful and chilling moments of this event – ​​a photograph that captures students hiding on the outside of a Roman building from deadly danger. It is an expression of their fragility and vulnerability through the metaphor of birds. These young people, who sat on the edge between life and death, are depicted here as tiny bird bodies that are pressed tightly together in anticipation of the inevitable. At the bottom of the sculpture we can see beaks, symbolizing 14 children, young lives that were prematurely and violently torn from the world. The shape of the sculpture resembles a fragment of the ledge under which the students were hiding. The surface is modeled with dynamic strokes that evoke chaos, fear, but also movement and the desire to escape. The overall design has a heavy effect and reminds of the weight of the tragedy it carries. „On the Ledge of Silence“ is a monument to all those who lost their lives, as well as to those who have to live with this experience. It is the embodiment of pain, but also an appeal for humanity, compassion and the search for ways to understand.