Northern Bohemia, especially the area of the Podkrušnohorská Basin, has been continuously inhabited since prehistoric times. Among other things, this area is interesting because it offers ideal living conditions, but only to a certain extent, i.e., only if people living in the former lake basins and adjacent foothill valleys contribute to them themselves. And so, throughout history, generations of both recent and distant ancestors in this area experienced alternating "lean" and "fat" years, depending on how willing, accommodating, self-sacrificing, and thoughtful the people were who shaped its character.
Since the Middle Ages, the Ústí, Teplice, Děčín, Most, and Chomutov regions have not been primarily or exclusively agricultural areas. Their appearance was shaped in accordance with the morphology of the landscape by the abilities and skills of their inhabitants, who in turn transformed the landscape with their activities and moved it towards a more prosperous tomorrow. Over time, with the help of mineral wealth, local natural materials, wind, water, and later steam and electricity, they built shining examples of exemplary cohabitation between humans and the cultural landscape. In this fascinating story, which has been going on for over ten thousand years, we repeatedly find ourselves in a situation where an individual has a choice – to become apathetic, suffer, become an apathetic, uprooted, passive being, or a diligent, active co-creator of the world that surrounds them. However, in order for the "miracle" of the second option to happen, it is necessary to be humble, patient, eager, to master the relevant skills and abilities, to devise innovative forms of specific activities, and to apply the most appropriate working methods to situations and materials that can be ideally paired with them.
Since the Late Paleolithic and Neolithic periods, there has been a struggle in this area to adapt as appropriately and effectively as possible to natural and contemporary social conditions, which—apart from the people who come and go—are represented by artifacts and the production processes associated with them. Whether we pause in our reflections at the stage of the initial emergence of solitary artifacts in the technological prehistoric era, or at the transition between handicraft, manufactory, and industrial production, we are always surprised and literally captivated by the degree of innovation and creativity that has been intrinsically linked to these processes since time immemorial. It does not really matter whether we choose as an example the production of carpentry products, ceramic utensils, glass containers, or Christmas decorations, or wicker baskets, textile lace and embroidery, baked goods, bookbinding and graphic products, or the production of mechanical tools, machines, toys, and other "gadgets." All of the above-mentioned types of outputs from work processes were also part of broader cultural entities based on local traditions, innovative approaches, long-term refinement of technological skills, the presence of high-quality raw materials, the use of natural energy sources, developing infrastructure, and creative thinking.
The exhibition FAMILY SILVER, in various forms of harmonious creative dialogue, presents a contemporary artistic reflection on craft techniques freed from their original functional, i.e., utility-driven essence, which is transformed into artistic artifacts in the works on display. The exhibition presents works by artists who sophisticatedly transcend the magical boundary between the craft and creative essence of the creation of a work of art, between "design," "applied" and "free" art, works whose effect is exposed to the procedural essence capturing the trajectory of their creation (or even demise), works of participatory collective practice breaking down the divide between the authorship of the creative individual and the passive consumption of art by viewers. The represented authors and author collectives embody the visions and determination of previous generations to inhabit this region and fill it with beauty combined with utility and an urgent message for future generations. They rightfully deserve the historical role of guardians of cultural heritage, administrators of community-shared, perhaps currently neglected, unpolished "family silver."
Exhibitors: Kundy Crew (SLK), Sráč Sam, Markéta Oplíštilová, Joanna Rajkowska (PL), Zsofie Keresztes (HU), Anna Hulačová, Kryštof Brůha, Hannes Egger (IT), Lada Semecká a Petr Stanický.
Curator
Michal Koleček