Matyáš Chochola’s The Virtues and Vices of Our Time installation merges historical allegory with technology to reimagine the timeless duality of human nature. A series of twelve sculptures sprout at the EPO1 Contemporary Art Center in the Czech Republic, a former industrial complex transformed into a cultural hub, to present an expressive postmodern reinterpretation of classical archetypes.

The vessels are shaped from 3D printed concrete and evoke Matthias Bernard Braun’s early 18th-century Baroque cycle Virtues and Vices. With each work standing at a height of 3 to 4 meters and weighing around a ton, the installation explores a stylistic spectrum ranging from antiquity and cubism to brutalism and sci-fi, creating a visual language that recalls temple ruins or a chessboard.

Currently exhibited at a gallery space in Trutnov, The Virtues and Vices of Our Time is envisioned for a future permanent placement within an architectural setting designed to engage with public space. Here, Czech sculptor Matyáš Chochola revisits Braun’s allegories, originally crafted for the Baroque complex at Kuks, but strips them of their historical moral framework. Instead, Chochola introduces a contemporary reinterpretation that blurs the boundaries between virtue and vice. ‘The sculptures and their unique characters, relationships, and references to various historical styles, cultures, or values have no clear continuity — they are incorporated freely into the sculptures. They carry both positive and negative qualities, mixed into an original cocktail. In this way, they resemble us, humans,’ he explains. Each piece invites the viewer to engage with its cryptographic meaning, allowing for personal interpretations beyond the rigid moral codes of the past.

The sculptures bear evocative working titles, including Mace I and II, Anemone, Totem, Tires, Brutalist, Cubist, Basalt, Baobab, Picasso, Tree Spirit, and Meteor. Produced using advanced concrete 3D-printing techniques, the works push the material’s limits through extensive experimentation. Forms that exceed standard printable angles were supported with lightweight clay aggregates, leaving imprints on the surfaces. Some sculptures were printed in segments, both horizontally and vertically, and later assembled. To further expand the creative process, Chochola introduced hand interventions using glass, pigments, and bronze, reinforcing the artisanal aspect of the 3D-printed structures. Additionally, algorithmic simulations of printing errors and deliberate manual glitches disrupted conventional production methods, resulting in unpredictable and unique forms.