What if babies replaced their faces with bar codes? This isn’t a dystopian nightmare. It’s the reality crafted by Czech artist David Černý. Here we are face to face with Miminka. These crawling babies are a series of sculptures. Černý created these intriguing artworks.
The Miminka sculptures are quite large. Each baby is about 350 cm long and 260 cm high. But instead of faces they have bar code stamps. The first baby sculpture appeared in 1994. It was shown at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. After that it traveled the world.
In 2000 Prague’s Žižkov Television Tower got a temporary art installation. Ten fiberglass Miminka were placed on the tower’s exterior. Each baby weighed around 190 kg. People loved the crawling babies. So in 2001 they became a permanent fixture. The Miminka stayed there until 2017. They had to be removed for repair.
New copies were made for safety reasons. These new babies weigh 250 kg each. They are more durable. They attach better to the tower. The original series returned to Černý. The new copies were installed in April 2019.
But the Žižkov Television Tower is not the only place to see the Babies. In 2008 another installation appeared. Eight bronze Miminka were installed on Kampa Island. In 2018 the original series went on loan. They were displayed in Palm Springs California for two years. You could even find Černý’s babies in Belgium. They were on the wall of the Gevel Casino in Blankenberge in 2006.
David Černý is famous for unusual public art. Prague has many examples of his work. The Miminka sculptures are no exception. Another striking work of his is on the Žižkov Television Tower.
The Miminka on the tower seem to defy gravity. The giant babies crawl up and down. Their bar code faces add to the unsettling effect. The artist introduced the first Miminka sculpture in 1994. It was met with a positive response. It was decided to keep them permanently on the Žižkov Television Tower.
The original Miminka proved insufficiently durable. They were replaced in 2019. The new pieces are heavier. They are more durable. They are better attached to the tower. Černý loaned the originals to Palm Springs as a temporary display.
Eight bronze copies reside on Kampa Island. Unlike the tower babies these Miminka crawl on the ground. It is up to you to decide if that makes them more or less creepy.
Černý’s most famous artwork features ten giant crawling babies. They have slots instead of faces. They appear to explore the outside of the TV Tower in Žižkov. The Miminka were placed there in 2000. They proved so popular that they were retained.
The Crawling Babies sculptures cause reflection. What does society’s relationship with technology look like? The babies have what looks like a scanning shopping code instead of their faces. The Miminka sculptures were originally made for an installation in Chicago. They were also displayed at the London Czech Embassy.
So there you have it. The Miminka sculptures are a thought provoking work of art. They challenge our perceptions. They make us question the world around us. Next time you see a bar code think about these giant crawling babies. What do they say about our society?