the climbing babies story

2001 — A JAN ODYSSEY

The Arts Center’s Factory Direct 2007 show featured artists paired with local manufacturers to explore and respond to industrial processes, materials, and environments.

In 2001, Jan chose the industrial building conversions I was doing in Prague as the subject of his Factory Direct submission. So, Jan made Prague his artistic playground and visionary venue for week.

Also in Prague at that time… the artist David Černý sculpted and installed "Miminka" on the former Žižkov Television Tower: 12 giant fiberglass babies who crawl up the columns of this Soviet-built monstrosity.

Not surprisingly, Jan was gob smacked and resolved to breach the tower despite it being definitively NOT open to the public. Posing as a New York Times photographer, talked his way past security guards and took the service elevator to the top floor. There he was stopped by two grim Soviet-style guards who told him that NO ONE was allowed to go out on terrace.

Using his miraculous powers of persuasion, he got on the terrace, and the guard to took this picture.