Song of Peace / Music of Peace

A recurring motif in the work of Ludwik Korkoš was a pair of seated women with symbolic attributes engaged in conversation. Usually, his aim was not to depict specific individuals, but rather to capture the archetype of the Slovak woman, transcended to the realm of an allegorical figure. With such intention, he designed a sculpture for the large atrium of the Faculty of Civil Engineering at STU, a work that is set on an orthogonal pedestal within the paved area of the relaxation zone.  

The sculpture depicts two female figures dressed in traditional folk costumes and wearing bonnets. They hold a branch, a symbol of peace, and thus express this universal ideal. Despite being rooted in traditionalism, the figures display an inventive approach to geometric stylisation through their formal aspects. The cubist style, expressed in faceted surfaces and sharp edges, draws inspiration from the folk woodcarving tradition. The lower edge of a female figure's skirt bears the inscription: CAST IN UR BRATISLAVA 1976. 

The Faculty of Civil Engineering at STU (SVŠT) was built between 1963 and 1974 according to a design by O. Černý. The low-rise structure with its two atria was connected to the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, a building designed by Prof. M. Kusý, while the high-rise structure housing the various departments became the architectural centrepiece of the complex. Construction of the Faculty of Civil Engineering also served to enclose the STU campus on the side that faces today’s Freedom Square and Imrich Karvaš Street, creating a shared courtyard that unfortunately now only functions as a car park and storage area. 

NB

Research status as of 28. 06. 2024.


Authorship

Co-authorship


Years

  • 1976 – implementation

Type

Material

bronze, concrete

Technique

casting

Dimensions

210 cm × 140 cm

Inscription

ODLIEVALI UR BRATISLAVA 1976

Condition

  • preserved

Registration

  • Located in Monument Zone Central Urban Area, Bratislava.

Owner

  • Slovak University of Technology

Administrator

  • unidentified

Address

9 Radlinského Street

Location details

within the large atrium of Block B

Plot number

8134/22

GPS

48.1517670, 17.1151330

Other works in the area

Construction

Erna Masarovičová 1976

Hydropower – Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, STU

Dezider Castiglione, Imrich Vysočan, Alojz Klimo 1958 – 1963

Biatec

Ľudmila Cvengrošová 1988

Youth and Science

Jarmila Dicová-Ondrejková, Mikuláš Dic 1984