Ondrej Jurčo ARCHITECTURE

PUBLICAE
The best way to achieve the extreme of
public space is to express it through
a conceptual conflict - create a public
space as a barrier, not as a meeting
space. The disruption of an idea of
public space is demonstrated by
trauma.
I use St. Peter’s Square as a readymade.
It is the perfect reference
of public space in the context of
Christianity.
Simple and impenetrable circular
wall with a radius of 30 m is built to
the centre of the square. But only as
a temporary wall. The mechanism
randomly triggers the rising of the wall
from the ground, and whoever is in the
perimeter will be trapped for a while.
The cycle is random.
Conflict is not just about isolation.
There are small holes in the wall for
passers-by and so anybody can observe
involuntary prisoners of public space.
My installation is a physical barrier
symbolizing the mental barriers that
build trauma. It is a space that denies
collectivity. The extreme public space.
My goal is not to shock but to draw
attention to collectivity