CURATOR'S DIARY
Wednesday 31 AugustVisit to Prague Biennale 2. Met with Jiri David (Curator/Artist), Karel Cisar (Curator) and Alberto Di Stefano (Director, Futura Gallery)
Met also with artists Jan Kadlec (whose work ‘Pig’, is an allegory for the Czech Republic’s political situation, and physically dominates the ‘New Czech Scene’ component of the Biennale) and a member of the artist’s group Pode Bal whose sculptures apply mass market Western branding to Islam.
Visited Karlin Studios with Jiri David and Alberto Di Stefano.
Dinner with the curator Karel Cisar who showed us documentation of Zvon 2005, the Fifth Bienniale of Young Artists, held in Prague earlier this year. Artists included:
Jakub Hovek (paintings with cartoon imagery, scrawled lyrics from songs etc)
Jiri Cernick (paintings configured in sprawling arrangements)
Jan Mancuska (neo conceptual, text based work machine cut from steel)
Markéta Othová (large scale black and white photographs of prosaic subjects)
Katerina Sedá (complex project based practice)
Zbynek Baladrán (appropriates vintage, communist era film footage)
Ludmila Smejkalová (abstract collage onto postcards)
Josef Bolf (cartoonish watercolours)
RT
Thursday 1 September
Visit to Jiri Svestka Gallery. Met by Filip Polansky (Jiri was away). Met artists Milena Dopitova and Katerina Vincourova – both active middle generation artists. Also saw documentation and works by Marketa Othova and Slovakian artist Veronika Holcova. Othova has been especially successful internationally with her arrangements of enigmatic black and white photographs.
Visited ‘official’ Prague Biennale, produced by Milan Knizak, at the National Gallery. Vast show at the NG and in other venues. Sections curated by external and foreign curators varying wildly in scale, quality and curatorial logic. Czech painting section – mostly awful with one or two exceptions - Katerina Szanylova – Hudeckova and her husband Ales Hudecek. A kind of Czech Tuymans feel, but also influenced by Vladimir Kokoilia.
Briefly met the contemporary curator at the NG Tomas Vlcek, recommended to us by Pavel Buchler.
To Display Gallery – an artists run space since 2001 which specialises in inviting artists from outside the Czech Republic (eg: Polish artists Monika Sosnowska and Wilhelm Sasnal, and Azorro Supergroup). Two small rooms on the ground floor. Met artist organiser Tomas Svoboda, who gave us documentation of previous shows. Also met Vit Havranek, Director of Transit. Transit aims to be:
‘a dynamic, transdisciplinary platform for dialogue between artists, curators, critics and their audiences in Central Europe. Transit supports local expertise, individuals instead of institutions and small scale, realisable projects with the potential to contribute to local and international contexts.’
Transit has an international advisory board. Its overall programme directors are Maria Hlavajova, based in Utrecht and Kathrin Rhomberg in Cologne. Transit is supported by the Erste Bank Group. See www.transit.org. Vit is the Czech organiser, Vit has published poster catalogues on behalf of Transit, notably the one for Katerina Seda which describes her impressive village project – in which she persuaded a whole village to all do the same things at the same time on a specific Saturday.
Also met and looked at work and documentation by Tomas Vanek, Zbynek Baladran, Miroslaw Hucek and Jan Mancuska (who is currently successful internationally and based in Berlin).
Also briefly met Leos Valka, the business man behind DOX, an ambitious new centre for contemporary art in Prague, due to be created in the same up and coming area as Transit. David Elliott and other people are on the advisory board. As a new institution - possible link with Turner Contemporary.
Later – dinner at Alberto Di Stefano’s flat. Jiri David, Katerina Vincourova and others present. Met Alberto’s partner Eugenio Percossi who is an artist making paintings and installations. Alberto is a successful property developer with a strong interest in the contemporary arts having set up Futura Gallery with both a non profit and more commercial side. He also owns a dilapidated castle in which artists have made installations. While his commercial and art interests are clearly mutually beneficial, he is a strong advocate for artists and the development of the visual arts in the Czech Republic.
AN
Friday 2 September
Visit to Futura Gallery where we were shown around by the Director Alberto Di Stefano. Saw permanent installation of work by David Cerny satirising the relationship between the former avant garde and the government.
Met with Veronika Bromová much of whose work involves digital manipulation of photographic images of herself to present horrific or fantastical portraits.
Met with Jan Kotík an American artist now based in Prague (of Czech parents). His work involves the adaptation of household furniture and decoration to include images of military hardware. The work in some way reminiscent of Martha Rosler’s ‘Bringing the War Back Home’.
Went to Kampa Museum where we were shown around by the Director Jana Sorf.
Saw the permanent collection established by Meda Meladek including works by Frantisek Kupka, and Jiri Kolar.
RT