Výkup uren (Urn Buyout), 2010

Výkup uren (URN BUYOUT) was an action in public space starting shortly before Christmas, comprised of adverts informing residents of Ceske Budejovice that I am willing to buy their urns containing the ashes of their deceised. The ads (in the local news paper and in the form of simple public space posters) offered 500 Czech Crowns for one urn (aprox 30 USD). The action was scandalized by the local and later the national media to a point of hysteria, calling the event "UrnGate" and dissmissing it as unethical. As a result I had no response to the ads by the locals, but people from different parts of the country contacted me to offer their urns. I also printed new flyers, raising the price I was willing to pay to 5000 CZK and I received several calls from the locals. I was also contacted by the police, inquiring about the action.

In the second phaze of the project, using the ash from the acquired urns I painted partially abstract portraits of the deceised on black enameled boards. The series has not been shown yet.