The work by Monika Váňová Horčicová bears a simple title that refers to a part of the human body—depicted larger than life and captured in a gesture suggesting the act of flicking away an invisible object. The object is intentionally absent here, leaving room for the viewer’s imagination. Although the work may seem trivial at first glance, it is important to realize that hand gestures have been powerful symbols throughout human history.

As the artist points out, we encounter them across various religious traditions—from Christianity and Buddhism to the mudras of yoga and meditation. In the cultures of the Middle East and North Africa, the hand functions as a protective symbol meant to shield a person from evil.

Similarly, the symbol of the hand appears in Kabbalistic manuscripts, where it represents the Hebrew letter “Shin”—one of the terms used to refer to God.

Monika Váňová Horčicová graduated from the Václav Hollar Secondary School of Applied Arts in Prague with a major in advertising design and from the Faculty of Fine Arts at Brno University of Technology, where she studied in the Sculpture 1 studio under Prof. Michal Gabriel, an academic sculptor. Michal Gabriel. During her studies, she completed an internship at the School of Visual Arts in New York, United States. In her sculptural work, she consistently utilizes digital technologies and 3D printing. Her sculptures often explore the theme of vanitas and are installed in public spaces in cities across the Czech Republic and abroad (Germany, Australia, Ecuador). She lives and works in Rosice near Brno.