Bird Mission

The wooden sarcophagus Bird Mission is exhibited in Burg Hardegg, Lower Austria, on the 6th station of the sculptural pilgrims’ way the Kristek Thaya Glyptotheque. Kristek’s sculptures unite five regions of three states (Czech Republic, Austria and Slovakia) in one pilgrimage. It brings the pilger to eleven unique places in the Thaya valley. The half-ton sarcophagus shown in Burg Hardegg inspires the visitor to meditate about the sense of his own life. It has already flown around the world on several night events. For example, in the double happening Love in circulo vitioso in finito secundi milenii, which was held in 1998 in Landsberg am Lech and then in Brno.
The art historian Barbora Půtová (Charles University) wrote about the sculpture: Man has been accompanied by such ideas as memento mori (remember your death) and mors certa, hora incerta (death is certain, its hour is uncertain), which reminded the mortal not to waste time, nor strive for worldly goals and not to accumulate material wealth, as these are expressions of vanity and folly, for one can take nothing material from this world. In creating his Bird Mission sarcophagus, Kristek followed on from this idea. The cenotaph, a symbolic tomb, expresses his preparation for death and meaningful lifelong utilisation of life.