The work Facility 1391 is part of a series of models constructed by Jan Tichy for remote inaccessible structures. Via information gathered from the press and the Internet, Tichy attempts to reconstruct the secret detention facility and transfer it from two-dimensional photographs to a three-dimensional paper model. The scaled-down model stands solitary in the dark room, while the beams of light simulating the fluctuations of the sun pass over it from time to time, changing the shadows cast. The various suspensions in the shadows and the moments of darkness that fall occasionally highlight the temporal dimension, generating the sense that one day follows another. The appearance of the facility, built in the architectural style of the Taggart fortresses – an elongated structure flanked by two watchtowers – has become an integral part of the country’s landscape and security heritage. The antenna sticking out from the large tower reveals the nature of the facility, emphasizing its isolation from the external world. The sense of deconstruction and construction is further enhanced vis-à-vis the print of the model’s deployment scheme hung on the wall. The print offers yet another peek into the depths of the detention facility, while at the same time rendering it a children’s game of sorts.

Facility 1391 encapsulates the sense of slowly passing time, day after day. Prison life transpires as a time capsule detached from the world’s daily routine and is conducted independently. The work illustrates the effect of the prison’s internal isolation, raising questions about its function and meanings.

Jan Tichy (1974) was born in Prague. Lives and works in Tel Aviv.

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