Two striking sculptural forms have recently appeared in the public space of Brno, inviting passers-by to stop, look closer and reconsider the relationship between contemporary art, architecture and the city.

Foreign Star I and Foreign Star II, created by Czech sculptor Jan Dostal, have the appearance of monumental three-dimensional stars, yet their visual complexity is rooted in a remarkably precise geometric structure. Installed at Šilingrovo náměstí, in the Galerie Šilingrák space managed by the Brno-střed municipal district and Kávéeska, the two works bring a distinctive sculptural presence to the urban environment.

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At first glance, their intricate surfaces may seem almost organic, resembling crystalline structures, intricate webs or fragments of some otherworldly architecture. Yet beneath this visual complexity lies a highly ordered geometric form: the icosahedron, one of the five Platonic solids.

An icosahedron is a three-dimensional shape composed of 12 vertices and 20 triangular faces. Alongside its mathematical precision, the form has acquired a rich symbolic significance throughout history, often associated with concepts such as perfection, harmony and balance.

This intersection between mathematics, philosophy and art is central to the visual power of Foreign Star. The sculptures transform an abstract geometric principle into something monumental and tangible, allowing a form traditionally encountered through mathematics to be experienced physically within the city.

Photo by Cosmina Marcela Oltean

Two stars, one sculptural statement

Together, Foreign Star I and Foreign Star II weigh approximately 300 kilograms, giving the works a substantial physical presence despite the apparent intricacy and openness of their structures. Their surfaces are composed of repeated geometric elements, creating an effect that changes depending on the viewer's position. From one angle, the sculptures appear solid and monumental; from another, their complex structures open up, allowing glimpses of the surrounding architecture, trees and sky.

This changing perception is an important part of the experience. The sculptures do not exist independently of their surroundings. Instead, the city becomes part of the work: buildings, light, vegetation, movement and the people passing through the square are constantly reflected, framed or visually incorporated into the geometric structures. The result is a dialogue between order and environment, mathematical precision and organic surroundings.

Photo by Cosmina Marcela Oltean

When mathematics becomes art

The use of the icosahedron gives Foreign Star an additional conceptual dimension. The Platonic solids have fascinated mathematicians, philosophers and artists for centuries precisely because of their exceptional symmetry and structural harmony. By choosing one of these forms as the basis for a monumental public sculpture, Jan Dostal brings a mathematical idea into direct contact with everyday urban experience. The sculptures invite viewers to encounter geometry not through formulas or diagrams, but through scale, material, light and space.

There is also something intriguing about the title itself. Calling these geometric forms Foreign Stars introduces a sense of distance and mystery. Their unusual appearance makes them seem almost extraterrestrial — objects that have arrived from another world and found their place among the familiar architecture of Brno. Yet they are built upon one of the most fundamental principles of geometric order.

Photo by Cosmina Marcela Oltean

A landmark in the city

Public art can alter the way a familiar place is perceived. A square that might otherwise function simply as a passageway or meeting point can become a destination in itself when a striking artistic intervention changes its visual identity. At Šilingrovo náměstí, Foreign Star I and Foreign Star II create precisely such a moment. Their scale encourages viewers to approach them, while their intricate structures reward closer observation. Seen from a distance, they establish a powerful silhouette; experienced up close, they reveal layers of geometry, texture and spatial relationships.

The two sculptures also demonstrate how contemporary art can bring together seemingly distant fields — mathematics, philosophy, sculpture and urban life — in a single visual experience. The icosahedron may symbolize perfection, harmony and balance, but in the public space of Brno it becomes something more immediate: an invitation to look, explore and discover how an abstract form can acquire a new life through art.

Foreign Star I and Foreign Star II are not simply objects placed in the city. They become part of its visual rhythm — two unusual geometric presences encouraging us to pause and see the familiar urban landscape from a different perspective. Inspired by the writings of Plato, this geometric form symbolizes perfection, universal harmony, and balance.