Built back in 1352, St George’s church in Lukova, Czech Republic had slowly fallen into disrepair during the 1960s – the result of the roof collapsing during a funeral service and repairs becoming too costly.
In fact so much started to go wrong with the building in general that people opted to hold ceremonies outside, away from seemingly cursed monument.
During the Hussite wars it was destroyed and later rebuilt in the sixteenth century. Yet the following century it was again destroyed, this time by fire. The people came together again for further reconstruction and the reconstruction acquired its present neo-Gothic design and was also enhanced with a tower.
In an effort to transform and revitalize the dilapidated church, local Czech artist Jakub Hadrava was commissioned to create an artwork that would lure locals and the wider public back to the church itself.
The success of his efforts would likely determined the fate of this medieval building – no pressure then.
Thankfully Hadrava’s artwork not only drew back the public, it ushered in a wave of tourists from around the world, all frantically wanting to sit next to his incredible eerie hooded ghosts. He mischievously added phosphorescent material added in plaster, so each apparition appears to glows in the dark…
The figures represent the ghosts of Sudeten Germans who lived in Lukova before World War Two and who came to pray at this church every Sunday.
The strange phantoms are made using plaster and are equipped with eerie lighting which make the unearthly installation look even creepier at night. They also contain phosphorous which after absorbing the rays of the sun during the day cause them to eerily glow once it gets dark.
Source:
tresbohemes.com
