Vil. Cihelka 31st Peace Race. 1977. SIZE: 25 7/8... Lot 42

Vil. Cihelka 31st Peace Race. 1977. SIZE: 25 7/8 x 38 in./65.7 x 96.5 cm PRINTER: Rude Pravo, Praha DESCRIPTION: Cihelka's design for the 31st annual Peace Race imbues a staggering sense of motion—one can almost feel the gust of air coming off this cyclist as he zooms past. From 1948-2006, this "world's biggest amateur cycling race" traveled through Berlin, Prague, and Warsaw; each country alternated as the starting point over the years. The race was originally created with the intent of relieving tensions between Central European countries in the years following World War II, and was managed by the three ruling Communist party newspapers of the time: Rudé právo, Neues Deutschland, and Trybuna Ludu. After the fall of Communism in 1989, the race was no longer state-sponsored, and organizers faced financial difficulties, which eventually led to the dissolution of the Peace Race in 2006. (Contemporary; Bicycles)