Tower for Jan Palach. The P 89 group exhibits at the University Library

The Pilsen Creative Group P 89 is exhibiting throughout November at the Bory Library on the campus of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. The authors are presenting a wide range of their artistic works, dominated by the Tower for Jan Palach. The exhibition will run until December 3.

A profound reflection on an act that inspired an entire generation more than 50 years ago. This is the story behind the seven-meter-high yellow structure currently standing in front of the University Library of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. The author of the Tower for Jan Palach is artist Václav Fiala, who created the sculpture with Palach's sacrifice in mind. In his honor, Fiala assembled a roughly two-ton steel structure pointing toward the sky from a discarded crane.

The statue, which began to take shape six years ago, has been seen by thousands of interested viewers around the world. It started its journey on the Australian coast, in Sydney and Perth, where it symbolized 30 years of Czech freedom, set against the backdrop of the endless sea and sky. Its return to its native Klatovy had symbolic significance, as it replaced the statue of Communist President Antonín Zápotocký and took the place of Palach's ideological opposition. After being exhibited in Prague and the German cities of Regensburg and Hohenberg, its journey now ends in Pilsen.

In addition to Václav Fiala's Tower for Jan Palach, visitors to the University Library of the University of West Bohemia can also view other elements of the exhibition by the Pilsen Creative Group P 89, such as Petr Kutek's wooden installations, until the beginning of December.

Most of the authors attended the opening on Monday, November 10, as did the group's executive director, Tamara Salcmanová, who outlined the history and philosophy of the association in her opening remarks: „The P 89 group was born out of a need to create freely—at a time when society was changing and we wanted to express our freedom through art. Today, more than thirty years later, we are still open to new ideas, people, and generations,“ said Salcmanová.

One of the participants also evaluated the exhibition: „The atmosphere is pleasant, and the exhibition fits well into the library space. Thanks to this, we were also able to see the university, which we don't normally get to visit." The Vokabule band provided musical accompaniment for the evening. Visitors also had the opportunity to discuss the exhibited works with their authors.

The creative group P 89 was founded shortly after the Velvet Revolution on the initiative of painter Karel Frauknecht. Since then, it has brought together artists, sculptors, graphic artists, and writers. Today, it is headed by president Květa Monhartová. The group's members include: Renata Drahotová, Milan Ďuriš, Lada Faixová, Václav Fencl Losenický, Václav Fiala, Alice Kopečková, Petr Kutek, Milena Kutková, Tereza Laznová, Miroslava Nová, Jiří Poslední, Naděžda Potůčková, Jiří Rataj, Jan Souček, Miroslav Š. Tázler, and Helena Vendová. Tamara Salcmanová has been the group's secretary since 1997.