Maxim Velčovský’s Subversive Take On Trophies In Milan
Czech designer Maxim Velčovský will unveil his Triumph of Trophies exhibition at Milan Design Week.
This April, at Milan Design Week, Czech designer Maxim Velčovský will unveil his Triumph of Trophies, a provocative new exhibition that plays with the meaning of prestige. Hosted at the Czech Consulate in Milan from April 1 to 13, 2025, show asks a deceptively simple question: What does it mean to win?
Velčovský, one of the most recognized talents in contemporary Czech design, is best known for transforming everyday objects into conceptual commentary. This time, the focus is on trophies — those shining symbols of success we place on pedestals, both literally and metaphorically. But Velčovský’s are not the kind of awards you’d expect to find in a glass case or boardroom. No, his are distorted, sometimes glowing (thanks to uranium glass), and always laced with irony.
“They carry stories of triumph,” Velčovský says, “but at the same time they can symbolize downfall or emptiness.” With this series, he leans into that paradox. Triumph of Trophies is less a celebration of glory than a sharp critique of the rituals surrounding recognition. The message lands quietly but powerfully: We are what we glorify.
Velčovský’s material of choice — glass — brings a poetic fragility to the work. The pieces, produced at the famed Ajeto Glass Crafters & Demonstration Workshop in the Czech Republic, shimmer with contradiction: solid yet breakable, clear yet opaque in meaning. Uranium glass, with its ghostly green glow under UV light, adds another layer — a visual metaphor for the radioactive nature of ego and acclaim.
Ajeto itself plays a key role in the exhibition’s narrative. The legendary studio, now part of the Lasvit Group, has been a playground for visionary designers for three decades, collaborating with the likes of Jean Paul Gaultier, Zaha Hadid and Maarten Baas. Velčovský, who is also Lasvit’s artistic director, taps into this legacy with work that is as much about craft as it is about commentary.
“Maxim’s trophies reflect human attitudes with irony,” says Dr. Stephan Hamel, art theorist and co-curator of the exhibition. “They explore how success is perceived — and sometimes warped — in the modern world.”
“THEY CARRY STORIES OF TRIUMPH, BUT AT THE SAME TIME THEY CAN SYMBOLIZE DOWNFALL OR EMPTINESS.”
This duality runs through the entire exhibition. On one hand, the show is a master class in Czech glassmaking — all fine detail and glowing technique. On the other, it’s an invitation to question the systems and symbols we take for granted. Why do we crave recognition? What happens when the object meant to honour achievement becomes hollow?
Set against the backdrop of Milan Design Week — a global summit of style, innovation and self- promotion — Triumph of Trophies couldn’t be more timely. In a cultural moment obsessed with winning, Velčovský reminds us that not all victories age well. Some crack under scrutiny.
Still, the show doesn’t feel cynical. It feels necessary. Velčovský’s work doesn’t mock ambition — it challenges its packaging. And in doing so, it invites a deeper look at what we value, what we reward, and why.
For those attending Milan Design Week this spring, Triumph of Trophies offers something rare: an experience that’s as visually striking as it is intellectually disarming. It may not send you home with a prize, but you will leave thinking — which might be the real win.
