Extraordinary group of sculptures, made of extraordinary materials by Mihály Kolodko

A new generation of concrete for the next generation

Sculptor Mihály Kolodko presents a new group of sculptures on the banks of the Danube, which has never been seen before in his career. A row of sharks made of special materials will be placed on the Vác section of the river, which draw attention to environmental pollution and its reduction.

The clear message of the latest Kolodko sculpture ensemble is the necessity of an environmentally conscious life. This is not only to be conveyed by the formal concept of the works, but also by their raw material. The substance of the existence of the sharks to be made is waste, and  the artist chose concrete made of lower carbon dioxide emitting cement belonging to the evoBuild product brand of Duna-Dráva Cement Kft. as their binding element. The latter category, recently introduced, emphasizes our company's low-carbon cement and concrete products. Similarly to our parent company, Heidelberg Materials,  we prioritise the issue of climate neutrality, which is why we decided to make the evoBuild product family available in Hungary, which has the same fresh and solidified properties as traditional concrete, but reduces its CO₂ footprint by at least 30% and even 80%.

In connection with the concept of unusual cooperation, the parties quickly found each other. The artist has been planning to implement a sculpture group with such a theme for a long time, and DDC, as a responsible and decisive market player, has been prioritising the issue of lower environmental footprint and achieving the climate goal for a long time. When the parallel came to light, the joint work started almost immediately, as the cooperation perfectly symbolizes the aspirations of the sculptor and our company. The common point was also given, as Mihály Kolodko works in Vác, while one of DDC's cement factories and headquarters is located next to the city.

"We couldn't have found each other at a better time with the artist!" – emphasized Zoltán Guth, Head of Communications. The company wanted to create an expressive, lasting and truly valuable design  on the occasion of the launch of its new global product brand, evoBuild, in January. This could include supply members characterised by carbon emission reductions and a specific contribution to the circular economy. All products classified in this category must meet strict requirements in order to become part of the range. This makes Heidelberg Materials the first building materials company to use globally standardized criteria for labelling sustainable products.

"The cooperation with Mihály Kolodko, the message and realization of the artwork, the location in Vác, including the emblematic and poetic Danube bank, all reflect the message we wanted to convey in connection with evoBuild – one of the elements of which is our concrete product evoBuild80R10 itself made using a recyclable additive – evoBuild is the next generation of concrete, which has been developed for the benefit of future generations" – highlighted Zoltán Guth.

In each sculpture, waste from the Danube bank appears as a substantial component. For their preparation, the sculptor collected and used garbage found on the beach area selected for placement.  This time, therefore, the caricaturistic feature characteristic of the Kolodko statues can already be seen in the choice of materials of the sculpture group, since the bodies of the statues are built simultaneously from Danube waste and new concrete with a low ecological footprint. In addition, the artworks individually reflect the pollution of the coastline, as the more of the waste got into a shark, the more could be found at the given location.

The cement sharks  will also be on display in the Tragor Ignác Museum in Vác for more than half a year, as Mihály Kolodko will have a temporary exhibition in the institution entitled Danube Shark. "It is a great honour that the museum in Vác can host the artist's latest works. We want to show that culture can be astounding, entertaining and thought-provoking at the same time. The message of a shark statue goes beyond itself, it is an exclamation point in defence of the Danube. We hope that visitors to the exhibition will also carry the message of reducing environmental pollution," said Helga Fehérváriné Tóth, director of the Tragor Ignác Museum.

In order to strike a balance between construction and sustainability, it is urgent to look for environmentally friendly solutions. By introducing innovative technologies and sustainable practices, the ecological footprint of the concrete industry can be reduced. This is one of the reasons why it is important that more and more people become familiar with and apply alternative solutions in the construction industry.