Piggy Banks – or How Do You Save for Vacation?

The work of Markéta Picková, a student at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague, from the Studio of Ceramics and Porcelain, often teeters on the fine line between applied art and sculpture. Her latest creations have made their way to Praguekabinet in the form of monumental piggy bank sculptures. The design of these piggy banks is somewhat eclectic, filled with “theatrical, stage-like façades.” They combine historicist architectural elements found in Prague’s building decor with kitschy, overtly flashy holiday symbols like a motor yacht, dolphins, or palm trees.

“What I find fascinating about a piggy bank is that, in order to access the money you’ve saved, you have to smash an object you’ve likely formed a kind of emotional attachment to over time. But to fulfill its real purpose, the piggy bank has to be destroyed. That’s why I designed these hollow and massive objects so that there’s no way to retrieve the savings without breaking them. In doing so, I reflect the obsessive relationship some people have with their savings. Unspent money is just as purposeless as an unbroken piggy bank,” Markéta explains her intent, adding: “Nowadays, money is becoming digital (which makes saving it even more absurd—we're saving something that no longer even has a physical form).”

These stunning sculptures—Piggy Bank Boat, Swan, and Tobogan—can be viewed and purchased at Praguekabinet. And if nothing else, they might inspire you to save in spirit—because breaking them would truly be a shame!