What is Artmat?
Artmat are old cigarette vending machines that have been converted to vend art. There are three active machines in Prague.
Instead of cigarettes, it’s possible to buy artworks of promising artists.They are selected by the curators Josefína Frýbová and Petra Widžová, who founded the project in 2019.
Packed size art, created by local artists, are original artwork, numbered and signed. The packaging also contained a biography of each artist.
The goal of this project is to democratize art in unusual places and introduce young artists. Indeed the machine is a way to provide an accessible platform for artists to exhibit their work.
How does Artmat work?
You input the correct number of coins. You pull the knob. It’s possible to choose a piece of art by a specific artist from the current edition, or be surprised by choosing a column with a question mark. You walk away with an original work of art.
Items range from 50 and 100 Czech crowns (2 to 4 euros). It can only be purchased using coins.
Locations
In Prague, there are currently two art vending machines working.
- Krymská 294, Praha 10-Vršovice
- It’s where the first art vending machine began operating.
- Kasárna Karlín – Prvního pluku 20/2, 186 00 Praha-Karlín
- Cross Club – Plynární 1096, Praha 7-Holešovice
- It will soon be working
The vending art machines are also in other cities such as Plzeň, Brno and Humpolec. In Brno, the artmat is an old snack machine instead of a cigarette vending machine.
New locations and new machines will likely appear. Josefína Frýbová and Petra Widžová were also speaking about the possibility to use E-commerce, for people who don’t live in these cities.
Artists
Over two dozen artists – photographers, designers or illustrators – have presented themselves in the machines, and more are gradually being added.
Some artists:
- Lukáš Kania – @lukas.kania
- Vít Čechmánek – @vit_cechmanek
- Kateřina Ondrušková – @katerina.ondruskova
Links
The artmat project has his own web page : https://www.artmat.eu/
Here an interview in English :