Skullstudio

Czech Republic / Company ID 01814583 +

Matěj Hájek is a Czech artist. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, where he specialized in sculpture under the guidance of Jaroslav Róna. His creative work blurs the boundaries between architecture, sculpture, and land art. He has long been exploring the relationship between sculpture, play, and learning, which is reflected in large-scale children's playground projects. In 2021, he was invited by the chief curator of the Venice Architecture Biennale to create an installation titled "OFF FENCE / PLOT." Projects he has contributed to have received awards such as the Grand Prix of Architects, Timber Building of the Year, and a nomination for Czech Grand Design. Since October 2019, he has been continuing his doctoral studies at his alma mater, the Academy of Fine Arts.

Completed projects

Project	PRIOR
Client	Concéntrico International Festival of Architecture and Design
Year	2023
Description	Prior loosely connects observations from neuroscientific disciplines in the practice of designing play installations. The spatial layout is conceived with the targeted intention of stimulating different functions of the human physical and mental apparatus. The combination of optic and haptic sensations in a parallel scenario conveys the visitor, the participant, into an unusual situation. The result of the stimulation is a disruptive reaction, which initiates the organism’s adaptation process. Adaptation is a key mechanism that connects play, learning, and the perception of a work of art. The object is installed in a unique location made accessible for the festival visitors only this year. This autumn commences on the plot construction of a new technology centre designed by Kengo Kuma.