Knit and Purl: From Oneself, around the Void and through it
2. 6. – 2. 7. 2022
Opening: 1. 6. 2022 at 6 p. m.
As a part of the opening, there will be a run of the Předlice track, then a performance Lick by Lukáš Hofmann and a sound performance BIOMOTION by Markéta Kubíčková.
Artists: Dominik Bek, Veronika Šrek Bromová, Seiko Hihara, Lukáš Hofmann, Markéta Kubíčková, Jan Matýsek, Jan Prošek, Marie Tučková
Architects: Sára Marie Svobodová a Matěj Peterka
Curatorial team: Tereza Häckelová, Ester Klingerová, Nela Kuhnová, Kristýna Mouchová, Kateřina Pencová, Zuzana Rambousková, Hana Sedláčková, Anastasia Taran (students of the master’s study program Curatorial Studies at FAD JEPU)
Supervisors: Michal Koleček & Adéla Machová & Barbora Hájková
Our fast-paced lifestyles define the shape of our social ties. We seem to be connected more than ever and confronted with an endless number of intricate stories, whether in our family or the wider community. Every day we come into contact with other people, with many things, so we rarely have the time and space to feel inwardly in harmony with ourselves and the present moment. The moments that we can share intimately and that we have for ourselves continue to diminish. We may feel lost, alienated, and separated from our hearts.
To reconnect with the natural intuition and the inner Self, it is essential to find our ways of being consciously present. Through such moments, we clearly define the relationship Me – the World. We are looking for a balance between the desire to belong somewhere and the desire to be different. We want to draw attention to ourselves, to stand out from the crowd, to be different from others, but at the same time to be anchored as a whole. Both of these conflicting desires are part of our existence, but often a knot can arise, a confusion, where one of them ends and the other begins.
The theme of personal rituals opens up the consideration of corporeality and touch. We get to know our immediate surroundings and our own body through them, which we then understand better and take care of. Rituals can be a means of making sure of one’s existence, which is part of the world order, connects us to it, but at the same time sets us apart from the crowd. It is a tool for finding the line between an automated process of everyday tasks and sudden moments of joy.
The exhibition seeks answers to basic questions that help us understand ourselves and our world. Where do we belong? Who are we? Who can we be? Each artist creates a work for the exhibition, which articulates his/her own story mediating different perceptions of different realities. Their works are a reflection of their own experiences, they evoke emotions and enable the sharing of personal stories. The diversity of rituals encourages a variety of expressions. It leads each artist to specific gestures and media that are relevant to them. The artists present themselves through paintings, graphics, installations, sound, and interactive objects. The exhibition is strongly permeated by the motif of fabric, drapery, stitching, and intimate touch. The real knots in the fabric and at the same time the imaginary knots of interpersonal relationships or various encounters are synonymous with the interconnectedness of our rituals, which lead to self-knowledge traveling from oneself, around the void, and through it.
The project is organized in cooperation with The Ústí nad Labem’s House of Arts, Faculty of Art and Design at Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem. It was also supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic, the city of Ústí nad Labem and the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague.
Graphic design: Jakub Filip Vorlíček
