Handshouse Studio & Raising a Human-Powered Medieval Crane at Prague Castle
May 1-7, 2006

Handshouse Studio participated in a major international Czech exhbition with 5 Mass Art alums who helped raise and test a human-powered Medieval crane. The exhibition, "Charles IV, Emperor by the Grace of God," was one of this decade's major events. For the first time in modern history, the most valuable artworks of Czech origin - scattered among American and European collections - were successfully gathered in a reconstruction of the rich mosaic of art produced in Prague under the Luxembourgs.

The 5 alums of the Massachusetts College of Art who participated are Laura Viklund, Jason Loik, Rob Duarte, Nat Crosby and Judith Hanson. They journeyed to Prague and joined Vit Mlazovsky and Petr Ruzicka in Prague to work on the project.

Construction of a Historical Crane at the North Courtyard of the Royal Palace at Prague Castle

Period technologies were used to make a replica of a medieval crane based on illustrations from the Wenceslas IV Bible dating from 1390 - 1400. It all took place at the north courtyard next to the permanent exhibition "The Story of Prague Castle." Visitors had a chance to see the main part of the works as well as an active program related to the function of the crane. The company Ars Tignaria prepared the project for Prague Castle.

For more information on the Czech exhibition, visit the Website: www.roofs.cz

Building of the Tower of Babylon - illustration from the Bible of Wenceslas IV, end of the 14th century