Pavement mosaics – Prague: Artist Jan Jenq creates them in his spare time
Holes in the sidewalks in Prague probably won’t surprise anyone. Which cannot be said about those that the artist Jan Jenq (40) takes to the paschálwho has declared war on these scars and decided to transform the unsightly holes into something that will bring a smile to the faces of passers-by.
From small pieces tiles, shards of mirrors and other materials he began to create mosaics, which fill these holes. Within a few years, he created dozens of them and inspired other Praguers as well. The inconspicuous sikula Blesku told how it all started and how his pieces are created.
Pink durability
Jan filled the first hole in the sidewalk around 2008, when he was working on a mosaic for one of the local businesses in Žižkov. “There was a big hole in Kubelíkova street in front of the pharmacy and the hospital. There were a lot of elderly people walking by, mothers with prams and such, and I had some glue left over from work, so I thought I’d give it a try and made a colorful spiral“, Jenq recalled, adding that she stayed here for about 8 years until the sidewalk was repaired.
In some frequented places, where potholes in the roads are a real hindrance, unfortunately however, mosaics do not last very long. “When I was doing something, for example, in the central park on Pankrác or near Arkád, where a lot of people walk, a lot of prams drive around, the tiles unfortunately dug up”, says John.
He liked the idea and has created around twenty of them in his free time in various places around Prague. He requires a place mostly near his residence, depending on how much the hole is in the way, but also when a place catches his eye or he gets an interesting idea. For longer joints, for example, a snake motif is offered, at other times the shape of the mosaic can be decided by a material that Jan has in excess. He does everything in his free time, without claim to any fee, quietly for his own pleasure.
Experiences from the streets
They became more creative in their creations and also began to use backlighting to make the colored glass mosaics stand out in the dark. One of these is his last piece in the Vrchlické Gardens.
“There is a funny story connected to this, one of the homeless people watched me while I was creating and thanked me anyway. I told him he was fine. But when I turned it on, he was horrified and told me that I can’t do it, that only Archangel Michael can do it. I told him it was okay because he sent me and then he left,” Jan recalled. He added that later a group of people with guitars came to admire the work, who sat around and watched the creation before it dried.
Jan Jenq devotes himself to illuminated glass techniques in the MARS studio (mobile studio of recycled glass) and in incorporating elements of his street art, he sees his artistic future in the creations of recycled glass. He named this project “light from Mars”.
Neighbors have been noticing his creations for a long time, and in addition to not having their common space for them, the mosaics are also a way to draw attention to these problems. By all accounts, it seems that he even inspired another individual with his idea, as there are more mosaics in the streets of Prague, created by the author Jan Jenq, according to his own words, he is not.
And where next?
There are photos circulating on social media of various places where clever Praguers have decided to take matters into their own hands. Jan Jenq himself definitely does not plan to stop in his street art, but he admits that there is probably no need to come this year, he won’t be able to make it. “I would like to realize myself in the South City, where the mosaics could perhaps be easily connected to the electrical network. However, I do not resist invitations to other cities,” concludes Jakub.
Filled pit in Kubelíkova Street
Author: Jan Jenq