Šedá, Kateřina: Mirror Hill (2010)

Kateřina Šeda is one of the most original Czech artists who, as a guest of the Ludwig Museum’s residency programme, created her project Mirror Hill in 2010 with the participation of the residents of Törökbálint. The installation is a documentation of an action in the field of participatory art. In her works, Kateřina Šeda deals with a phenomenon or problem affecting a community of her choice, for which she offers specific artistic means to solve (e.g. drawing, games, other collective activities). By addressing typical and widespread problems such as loneliness, aimlessness, the disintegration of communities, she also reflects on the changes in the Central and Eastern European public sphere and the contradictions of consumer society. The action Mirror Hill took place in a newly built neighbourhood of detached houses in Törökbálint, which is struggling with similar problems as many other dormitory towns built on the outskirts of the city. The socio-competitive game invented by Šeda, in which residents had to draw a detail of a neighbour’s house and then identify as many buildings as possible from the drawings, was based on the involvement and active participation of the residents, while also exploring the new urban structure and lifestyle, the built environment. The main aim of the project was to build community through an attractive prize draw, the winners of which (a young couple with three children) were awarded a two-week holiday in Florida.

Krisztina Szipőcs