A Monument to Vernacular Architecture, Kassa/Košice

Text: Edit Pálinkás
Artist: Tomáš Džadoň

Photo: artportal.hu

The spectacles of vernacular architecture in villages like Liptó and Árva, Tomáš Džadoň artist realized with a shock how dull and uniform prefab housing define the lifestyles of people living there by their bleakness. Almost every other citizen in Slovakia lives in prefab houses. According to the original concept, the artist wanted to remodel one of the residential blocks of Poprád, which is his home-town, by building a timber superstructure on top of it. Finally, his idea was given the green light after finding sponsors for the project thanks to the Košice European Cultural Capital Programme. As a result, three timber house in the village of Liptó were taken apart under the supervision of professionals, and then assembled in the car park of Košice to be moved to their new place on top of the prefab house by giant cranes. According to plans, these timber houses shall remain there for at least two years. Then, together with the dwellers, decision is going to be made about their future.