Vladimir Skoda's Spheres at Le 19 Centre d'art contemporain

From September 14 to November 24, 2002, Le 19 Centre d'art contemporain in Montbéliard, France, presented an exhibition of works by Vladimir Skoda. The show featured a constellation of spherical objects, including a large astral pendulum titled 'Hommage à Foucault' and a steel sphere oscillating perpendicular to a concave circular mirror, creating a fleeting black hole effect (Kora, 1997). Since 1989, Skoda has used advanced technologies like electronic lathes, industrial polishing, and computerized mathematical data to perfect his spheres. The exhibition traced his evolution from a blacksmith-artist working in the classical tradition of forging to a sculptor achieving geometric perfection through progressive simplification and compression of forms. The works explore the tension between physical metalwork and mathematical models, engaging perception, doubt, and belief. Notable pieces include two versions (chrome and patinated steel) of 'Cinq corps de Platon,' presenting a tetrahedron, hexahedron, octahedron, dodecahedron, and icosahedron arranged in a circle, nearly subsumed by spherical perfection. This hybrid challenges Wittgenstein's assertion that spatial representation cannot violate geometry.