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Smelt "OKO" ("The Eye") – a gift from Ostrava artist Karol Hercík
While visiting the Czech Home in Rijeka, majorettes brought along a gift from Ostrava. Karol Hercík, a painter from Vitkovice, promised this gift to Czech Beseda Rijeka for its new home last year.
It is a piece of art on enameled sheet metal, a large plane smelt, made in 2006 during a smelt symposium in Vitkovice. The symposium is a part of traditional cooperation between artists and Vitkovice steel plant. It was a unique event because large plane smelts can be made in only four locations in the world. The artwork given to Czech Beseda Rijeka is named OKO (The Eye). Its dimensions are 100 cm × 126 cm (about 3'5" by 4'3"). Mr. Hercik decided to donate this piece to the Czech Home when he saw the typical red and blue colors on this building. He was sure the piece would fit in perfectly. The architect Grazia Tricoli decided on a spot for this artwork even before it came to Rijeka: on the main staircase. The only thing left to do is to place the work on the wall, which is a heroic task considering its weight of about 40 kilos (almost 90 pounds). The piece will fit in perfectly and be a true decoration for the Home interior.
