Jarní výstava
Spring is coming, and nature is awakening. The metaphors of sleep and awakening, as well as the “arrival” of the season, reflect ancient human conceptions of natural processes. However apt we may find them—since they correspond to the observable annual beginnings of growth and birth—we recognize in the vocabulary used a hidden human figure, rooted in our human experiences of sleep, waking, and so on. The anthropomorphization of natural phenomena understandably complicates our reflection on the living world by colliding with the limits of human imagination. On the other hand, however, this very imagery anchors us in this world as its participants and prevents us from using the “scissors” of technological civilization to sever ourselves from our animal roots. After all, there is no other way. At least half of the readers of this text are currently suffering from so-called “spring fatigue,” which is caused by the body’s adaptation to the change in season, hormonal shifts, vitamin deficiencies, and frequent fluctuations in outdoor temperatures. The spring months are also notorious for having the highest number of suicides. Apparently, something is running out for us in the spring.
The joint “Spring Exhibition” by Jan Kostohryz, Matouš Lipus, and Filip Nádvorník emerged as a dialogue among three distinct artists who, from their own perspectives, explore the connections between humans and nature. Their focus is specifically on human figures. In art historical terms, their works could thus be described as “figurative”—even though the exhibition also features sculptures of watering cans and carrying baskets alongside human figures. After all, the human body is imprinted even in their ergonomics.
Cast versions of these functional objects are among the works presented by Matouš Lipus. For many years now, he has regularly crossed the boundary between sculpture and gardening, always incorporating elements of one into the other. Since 2017, he has been building a permaculture garden around the large Kafkárna sculpture studio in Prague’s Ořechovka neighborhood and is a member of the team at the local UMPRUM Center for Ecology and Art. His sculptural works at the “Spring Exhibition” address the issue of (cultivating) care as a considerate approach through which a productive balance between the needs of all parties can be achieved. Some seedlings will also sprout here during the exhibition. At the same time, Lipus approaches the discipline of sculpture with a slightly mischievous smile on his face. However, the humor is primarily intended to reinforce the overall image of the potential for positive change—a change that occurs even through small acts—which will (surely) one day replace the old exploitative paradigm.
For painter Filip Nádvorník, whose paintings are fundamentally rooted in his own farming work, it is also important to view farming as a comprehensive, sustainable practice