New mural brings Czech lace heritage to a Prague city square

A new mural inspired by traditional Czech lace is taking shape on Kostnické náměstí in Prague 3, where Polish artist NeSpoon is transforming a historic textile pattern into a large-scale work of public art.

The site-specific mural began on Aug. 24 and is scheduled to be completed Sept. 1. The project is part of the third annual Urban Pictus international mural art festival, with support from Prague 3.

NeSpoon is known for incorporating traditional lace motifs into contemporary public art. Rather than simply reproducing existing designs, she researches the textile traditions of each place where she works, drawing on museum collections, archives and private collections as well as conversations with craftspeople and historians.

For the Prague mural, the artist selected a lace pattern dating to the 17th century, chosen in part to complement the historic architecture surrounding Kostnické náměstí.

“We spent several hours with NeSpoon selecting a suitable motif so that the pattern would not be too repetitive and would also work for painting on a large format,” said Petr Kopal, one of the founders and producers of Urban Pictus.

The final pattern was selected from an exhibition in the historic building of the National Museum and was made using bobbin lace, a traditional technique in which threads wound around small wooden bobbins are crossed, twisted and woven together.

The mural will use a pink background, a color chosen to reflect the old-rose tones found on some of the historic buildings around the square while providing enough contrast for the lace pattern to remain visible.

The finished work will also receive an anti-graffiti coating, which will slightly soften the colors.

For NeSpoon, the project continues her broader exploration of the relationship between cultural heritage and contemporary urban spaces. Her monumental lace designs bring fragile, traditionally handcrafted patterns into streets and onto buildings, creating a visual link between local history and modern city life.

The Prague mural is being created specifically for Kostnické náměstí rather than adapting one of NeSpoon’s existing works. Her research in the Czech Republic, including Prague, informed the lace motifs used for the project.

“NeSpoon takes traditional Czech lace patterns and gives them new life in the space of Kostnické náměstí,” said Prague 3 culture councillor Pavel Křeček. “It is exactly the kind of public art that can be interesting for local residents and visitors while naturally enriching the character of Prague 3.”

The project is being carried out with Prague 3, the Polish Institute in Prague, Žižkovská spojka, Prague Public Transit Company and paint brand Primalex.

Urban Pictus will continue with a special film and discussion evening on Sept. 10 at Prague’s Bio Oko.

Urban Pictus Cinema: Street Heroines & Mural Milada will begin at 8:30 p.m. and feature the Czech premiere of Street Heroines, an award-winning documentary by director Alexandra Henry following women working in the predominantly male graffiti and street-art scene.

The program will also include Mural Milada, a short documentary about the creation of the Milada Horáková mural in Prague’s Letná district by Czech artist Toy_Box.

The screenings will be followed by discussions with Henry, Toy_Box and Kopal, along with a closing discussion moderated by Sany, a prominent figure in the Czech graffiti scene and director of the documentary Girl Power. The event will be held in English.

Urban Pictus is an international mural art festival that brings Czech and international artists to Prague to create large-scale works in public spaces. Now in its third year, the festival focuses on connecting contemporary art with the history and character of individual Prague neighborhoods.