Culmination / The Apex of Czech Fine Art

Culmination: The Apex of Czech Fine Art – presents artworks by seventy-seven selected artists.
The installation, designed by Petr Písařík, presents the art of the following individuals side by side: Jiří Kovanda, David Hanvald, Michael Bielický, Stanislav Kolíbal, Josef Pleskot, Zdeněk Fránek, Radoslav Kratina, František Tichý, Evžen Šimera, Jiří Černický, Hugo Demartini, Milan Kunc, František Janoušek, Jan Trampota, Stanislav Podhrázský, Jan Kaplický, Robert Piesen, Daniela Vinopalová, Jiří John, Julius Mařák, Jan Kubíček, Jánuš Kubíček, Otakar Kubín, Milan Dobeš, Zbyněk Sekal, Jindřich Prucha, Antonín Střížek, Jiří Sopko, Rudolf Kremlička, Josef Váchal, Josef Bolf, Petr Písařík, Josef Lada, František Hudeček, Josef Čapek, Josef Sudek, Krištof Kintera, Bohumil Kubišta, František Kupka, Václav Špála, Otto Gutfreund, Jan Zrzavý, Karel Malich, Václav Boštík, František Muzika, Zdeněk Sýkora, Bohuslav Reynek, Jiří Kolář, Theodor Pištěk, Jindřich Štyrský, Toyen, Jan Slavíček, Otakar Slavík, Emil Filla, Zdeněk Sklenář, Mikuláš Medek, Milan Grygar, Jan Merta, Ladislav Zívr, Tomáš Císařovský, Josef Achrer, Tomáš Predka, Marek Číhal, Josef Šíma, Jiří Matějů, Jan Křížek, Lubomír Typlt, Alfons Mucha, Epos 257, Otakar Lebeda, Běla Kolářová, Federico Díaz, Karel Nepraš, Richard Wiesner, Vladimír Boudník, Kamil Lhoták, Václav Cigler, Kamila B. Richter, and Rony Plesl.

The gallerist Zdeněk Sklenář says the following about the concept for this show: “The exhibition is a fanciful educational stroll through more than a century of the developments in Czech art and demonstrates how dramatically it has changed – from Realism, through Abstractionism, and ending with the most recent forms of art.” In addition to the names of the classics, who represent the founders of Czech modern art, the exhibition includes the work of artists from the middle and younger generation. More than 150 works are included – graphic works, drawings, paintings, sculptures, video installations, and even architectural models. In what is a surprising association, here the great names from Czech history come together with the names of those still in the midst of developing their position. Sklenář goes on to add: “The unexpected visual encounter in Petr Písařík’s radical installation makes it possible for the spectator to find connections where they would otherwise not look for them. Geometric compositions are shown side by side with figural works, glass next to videos, and photographs next to new media.”

For instance, the artist Epos 257’s 3082 Transaction, a work that is often mentioned in the media, will be displayed (together with a video documenting how it came into existence) next to one of Jindřich Štyrský’s best-known paintings – A May Night from 1931, and one of Josef Váchal’s large landscapes will be installed near next to Jiří Kovanda’s conceptual art. Many exhibition visitors will be delighted to see Josef Čapek’s 1916 drawing Girl with Ball, which has never been shown before and has become the logo for the entire exhibition.

Architectural models by Josef Pleskot and Zdeněk Fránek will also be on display as well
as an example of Jan Kaplický’s designs.