"Atlas and Prometheus"

About

The audience standing in the Palazzo Mora Garden might be contemplating, 'Which one am I? Stretched or Pressured?' There isn’t a human on Earth who hasn’t experienced one of these sensations at some point in their lives, making it everyone’s story and thus, a universal experience. - Nikola Vudrag

In the intimate entrance of ECC’s Palazzo Mora, two colossal titans in Corten steel stand. They are two sculptural guardians of the threshold created by Croatian artist Nikola Vudrag (b. 1989), representing mythical rebel titans Prometheus and Atlas. Their monumental presence watches over this liminal stage, setting a contemplative, enigmatic, and thought-provoking dialogue with visitors who cross the Palazzo's path. 

Curated by Metamorphosis Art Projects (London, UK) in the context of the 60th Venice Biennale 2024, Prometheus and Atlas displays a powerful interpretation of the myth and the timeless human struggle for freedom and progress. Drawing parallels between the mythological damnations of Prometheus and Atlas and contemporary challenges, these towering sculptures symbolically portray the conflicting pressures shaping our lives and the perseverance in dealing with them. 

The crafted Corten steel sculptures embody a precarious balance, intensified by the enclosed space of the garden and the symmetrical setting, like two sphinxes. According to MAP’s curators, the Prometheus and Atlas offer “a personal reflection on the contemporary issues of the human condition through the prism of Vudrag's creative vision”, mirroring the inherent tenacity of their material.

Vudrag's imagery is deeply interdisciplinary. As a modern humanist, he merges philosophy and humanities into contemporary iconographies and traditional metalworking techniques. In Prometheus, the rebel-titan who daringly stole fire from Gods to give it to humans is symbolically represented by his doom: the robust chain that subjugated him. In Atlas, condemned by Zeus to carry the world's weight on his shoulders, is transformed into a hand that laboriously holds the burden of a fluted classical column. The two hands—one stretched, the other pressured—epitomize the effort to uphold ideals amidst ever-changing social trends and dominant tensions.

Prometheus and Atlas pay homage to the industrial strength of Corten steel, a raw medium that Vudrag, born into a family of skilled metalsmiths in Varaždin, skillfully works, creating solid structures caught in a situation of strenuous structural instability. The installation designed for ECC's Palazzo Mora represents a valuable milestone in the artist's career, currently exhibiting at Dubai Jetex with his project Seven Realms and among the artists selected for the upcoming Malta Biennale 2024. According to Neven Bosilj, Mayor of Varaždin, the talents of Nikola Vudrag “enriches the dynamism, innovation, diversity and global recognition of the city’s cultural scene” and displays “a unique connection between Varaždin past, present and future”.

The purposeful site-specific installation triggers an urgent reflection on contemporary existence, marked by precariousness, vulnerability, and daring acts of individual and collective resilience; ‘a narrative etched in steel’ that invites the public to reflect on the enduring pursuit of balance and stability of humans. Celebrating the titans, those who dare, Prometheus and Atlas aims to inspire viewers to become agents of transformation in their own lives and communities. Prometheus and Atlas, guardians of the threshold, become two guides that encourage crossing the door to embark on a mythical odyssey together.