The councilors in Brno have closed the competition for the statue of Jošt, and they want to announce another one

Brno - The Brno councilors have definitively ended the sculptural competition for the depiction of the Moravian Margrave and Roman King John of Luxembourg. They do not like the winning design by Marius Kotrba and did not choose any other. Next year, the town hall will likely announce a new competition. "This time we want to clarify our requirements more. We had an idea of a classic equestrian statue, but the proposals were rather modern," Mayor Roman Onderka (ČSSD) told journalists today.
    The councilors expressed their displeasure with the winning design already in June. At their Tuesday meeting, they definitively decided that the city would not proceed with any of the competition designs. "We are considering that we will let the public, independent residents of Brno, vote in the next competition as well. The council would then have recommendations from the expert committee and the citizens of the city," Onderka stated.
    The equestrian statue was promoted by former Mayor Richard Svoboda (ODS). It was to be unveiled on October 1, 2010, on the 600th anniversary of John being elected as Roman King. The deadline will not be met, the council admitted back in June. The councilors want to use the anniversary as a suitable date to announce a new competition.
    Svoboda, along with the civic association John of Moravia, also announced a public collection for the creation of the statue. As of today, more than 1.4 million crowns have been collected. According to Onderka, the collection can continue, and its proceeds can be used later. The costs of the unsuccessful artistic competition, including the awards for the artists, will be borne by the city.
    John of Luxembourg (1351 to 1411), a nephew of Charles IV and a politician of European significance, is among the most important figures of medieval Brno. He is buried in the Church of St. Thomas in Moravian Square.
    Kotrba conceived the equestrian statue on a pedestal in a modern manner. It does not resemble Myslbek's Saint Wenceslas in any way. However, Kotrba will have another statue in Moravian Square. Last year he won the competition for the portrayal of Justice. His man in a squat lifting a block from the ground will adorn the space in front of the Supreme Administrative Court. There are supposed to be two more statues in Moravian Square - Temperance and Wisdom.
   Architect Petr Hrůša, who is the author of the concept of Moravian Square, told ČTK that when selecting a statue, feelings of pleasure and displeasure must be put aside. "They (the councilors) cannot find themselves in it and think they will make a mistake. But the mistake is when they follow the path of pleasure. If the council, which is composed of various professions, debates whether a brunette or a blonde is prettier, they will never agree," Hrůša stated.