In the interdisciplinary reflection on the selected social phenomenon, Samuel Velebný guides us t... more In the interdisciplinary reflection on the selected social phenomenon, Samuel Velebný guides us through the network of non-obvious correlations, connects the analysis of locally specific conditions in the region with global influences and overlaps, examines the permeability of established boundaries between large categories of nature, play and culture, and finally, in the actual implementation of the works, confidently moves on the border of urbanism, design and visual art. Velebný´s approach can be characterized by a focus on the informative detail, patient untangling the bundle of correlations combined with the ability to think in broader contexts overcoming commonly perceived space-and-time relationships. In search of connections, he crosses the borders of disciplines, regions, continents and, ultimately, our home planet itself. For example, the concentrated interest in the cultural history of the potato beetle allows the artist to follow a subtle web of imagination, biology, military conflicts, colonialism, and the settlement of extraterrestrial spaces. He subjects the phenomenon of globalized football and its media representation to a similar discursive analysis. The persuasiveness and quality of Samuel Velebny’s works lies in his ability to create enriching objects and situations through which surprising correlations and exploratory cross-connections become visible in our living space.
The paper focuses on the issues related to the interpretation of visual art. It primarily themati... more The paper focuses on the issues related to the interpretation of visual art. It primarily thematizes the tension between images and words that occurs in the interpretation of artworks and art criticism. The cross-sectional comparison of the methodologically reflected writings and opinions
Exhibition Grow. Der Baum in der Kunst (September 23, 2022 – January 8, 2023) in Vienna ́s Lower ... more Exhibition Grow. Der Baum in der Kunst (September 23, 2022 – January 8, 2023) in Vienna ́s Lower Belvedere is a spatially, production-wise, but especially intellectually ambitious project accompanied by a publication whose content goes beyond the traditional catalogue genre. The curator of the exhibition and co-editor of the book is Miroslav Haľák, who works at the Austrian Belvedere Museum. At the centre of the thematic exhibition is the tree as a cultural phenomenon or category, visual motif, sign, metaphor, and symbol. The selected curatorial approach is transhistorical and transdisciplinary: through 102 works by 76 artists, from the 15th century to the present day, the tree is understood and interpreted in a spectrum of media, contexts, and discourses. From a curatorial point of view, the project is thought out in detail, and represents a unique example of a spectacular exhibition that is ecological not only thematically and declaratively, but also realistically and from a production point of view. The accompanying materials were made from recycled materials, and the criterion for selecting the exhibited works was to avoid expensive transportation with a negative impact on the environment. When preparing the exhibition, Miroslav Haľák had the opportunity to draw on his long-term art-historical research into the phenomenon of anthropomorphism. In 2021, his publication Face of Nature (Theory of Anthropomorphism in Modern Art) was published by the Slovak publishing house Petrus. This complex curatorial project also contributed to the establishment of Slovak art in an international context. The exhibition presented the works by Robert Bielik, Daniel Fischer, Michal Kern, Marek Kvetan, Zuzana Mináčová, Marek Ormandík and Dorota Sadovská.
Adrián Kobetič - Adam Korcsmáros (eds.): Je ešte čo interpretovať? Zborník príspevkov k sedemdesiatym narodeninám prof. Mariana Zervana. Trnavské umenovedné centrum, 2022
The article focuses on the identification, mapping and interpretation of the visual and architect... more The article focuses on the identification, mapping and interpretation of the visual and architectural motifs of the natural vault, which can be observed in art and architecture around 1500. Vegetamorphic motifs visualising ideas about primitive architecture, or more precisely, about the beginnings of architecture, are associated with texts of classical antiquity – De architectura by Vitruvius and Germania from Tacitus. Humanists north of the Alps, partially inspired by the Italian humanists, who had already created around their history an extensive body of myth and historiography, also began to explore classical antiquity around 1500 in a similar attempt to connect with the past and to resurrect a culture, they could understand as roots of their own identity. The motif suggesting a primitive natural vault made by tying branches together is not an ornament or the result of an autonomous development of art, but a meaning-creating detail: It is the result of a conscious looking back to the past, connecting to a rediscovered tradition and visual manifestation of a chosen and cultivated cultural identity.
At the recent exhibition Sacral Stories in the Považská Gallery of Arts in Žilina (23 September -... more At the recent exhibition Sacral Stories in the Považská Gallery of Arts in Žilina (23 September -12 November 2022; curators Peter Salner and Peter Megyeši, architect Pavel Choma) Ľubo Stacho and Monika Stacho presented the results of a long-term and continuously developed artistic program, which can be characterized by the empathetic and ecumenical examination of the manifestations of the spiritual culture of the past and present. They start out from the premise that the human approach to the transcendental is an anthropological constant, while the relentless drive to exceed human limits and the search for and direction towards the sacred takes on different forms in time and space. The artistic duo focuses on observing, documenting, presenting, and interpreting these specific cultural traces, and proves that the territory of today's Slovakia is a space for developing the historical spiritual heritage and the preservation of long-standing traditions, but also a place of tragic historical ruptures. The exhibition is divided into six thematic chapters, but their boundaries are permeable: Past, Rituals, Culture, Consumerism, Sadness and Beauty.
Kostol sv. Mikuláša v Podunajských Biskupiciach vo svetle nových výskumov, 2019
Cieľom príspevku je zhodnotenie odkrytých a reštaurovaných stredovekých nástenných malieb v sakri... more Cieľom príspevku je zhodnotenie odkrytých a reštaurovaných stredovekých nástenných malieb v sakristii, presbytériu a na triumfálnom oblúku kostola. Text sa zaoberá datovaním jednotlivých maliarskych vrstiev, ich formálnou analýzou a prináša komparáciu biskupických malieb s príbuznými dielami na našom území. Autori sa taktiež pokúšajú maľby zaradiť do širšieho európskeho kontextu s prihliadnutím k ich možným štýlovým východiskám. Jednotlivé maliarske vrstvy radia do obdobia od 40. rokov 14. storočia, po začiatok 16. storočia. Druhá časť príspevku sa venuje ikonografickému programu kostola. Cieľom je identifikácia jednotlivých námetov obrazov, ich zaradenie do ikonografických súvislostí a napokon aj pokus o súhrnnú interpretáciu maliarskej výzdoby kostola.
The text deals with the iconography of the medieval wall paintings in the churches in Rimavské Br... more The text deals with the iconography of the medieval wall paintings in the churches in Rimavské Brezovo and Liptovské Sliače. Both of these paintings of female figures holding vessels and beset by demons represent the specific motif of a landlady or tavern keeper suffering in Hell. Depictions of the figure of the landlady in combination with demons can be found throughout medieval Europe from the early 14th century until the early modern period, and negative portrayals of the character appear in numerous literary sources of the period. The preserved paintings in Rimavské Brezovo and Liptovské Sliače are valuable evidence of eschatological concepts and the ways in which they were disseminated in the 14th and 15th centuries.
In the Orthodox synagogue in Košice, Martin Piaček (b. 1972) created the installation Metaforum, ... more In the Orthodox synagogue in Košice, Martin Piaček (b. 1972) created the installation Metaforum, grand in space and demanding to produce, and made accessible to spectators from 10 June to 10 July. The realization, curated by Nikolas Bernáth in collaboration with Košice's VUNU Gallery, is in a certain sense a departure from the artist's earlier work, as it particularly took on questions of national history and identity, and contexts of art in public space. The Košice realization demonstrates the change in Piaček's artistic direction, as he has been exploring the relationship between nature and culture, chiefly endeavouring to overcome how they are understood in a dualistic manner. Reflecting on alternative/non-linear is part of viewing it in this perspective. These tendencies are quite legible in this Orthodox synagogue installation.
Profil súčasného výtvarného umenia / The Contemporary Art Magazine, 2020
Periphery, Boundaries and Moments of Crossing Over: Notes on the Work of Michal Machciník
Michal... more Periphery, Boundaries and Moments of Crossing Over: Notes on the Work of Michal Machciník
Michal Machciník (b. 1989), even in his thesis work undertaken in 2015 in the Studio of 3D Creativity at Košice’s Faculty of Arts, has always focused on untraditional topics and applying unusual creative principles, which now characterize his current sculpture work. This is dominated by gathering materials in the forest space, putting them together in a variety of ways to make objects of ambiguous meanings and challenging aesthetics. Channel of Messages from the Edge of the Society / Kanál správ z okraja spoločnosti (2012– 2016) is a series of works documenting forest graffiti – texts, signs and symbols, inscribed in tree bark. What they have to say reflects a wide scale of human experience, from love notes, banalities and vulgarisms to political slogans and music fan messages. Reliefs for Latour /Reliéfy pre Latoura (2018) are found artefacts and natural materials combined with historical technical drawings and classroom graphic schemes, creating wholes that are aesthetically surprising and semantically provocative. Tribute to the Woodpecker: cast of woodpecker hole /Pocta ďatľovi: odliatok dutiny vytvorenej ďatľom (2014 – 2020) is a capturing and making visible of outwardly undetectable remnants of the natural activities of woodpeckers, left in the hollows of tree trunks. In his latest Wunderkammer /Kabinet kuriozít he built an assortment of objects combining found natural materials, animal taxidermy, technical components and other human creations. The ensemble comprises a disquieting aggregate, whose ambiguous taxonomy evokes a speculative look at the world evocative of pre-modern science, as represented in cabinets of curiosities (Kunstkammer/Wunderkammer). Whereas these pre-museum expositions during the Renaissance had the intention of grasp the world in a microcosm, or to present a “theatre of the world” through this collection, in Michal Machciník’s work it is a way of reconsidering categories that we had – obviously too soon – considered settled once and for all.
Profil súčasného výtvarného umenia / The Contemporary Art Magazine, 2020
In your creative process, you're very often at the city's periphery and in forests, creating a pi... more In your creative process, you're very often at the city's periphery and in forests, creating a piece or appropriating artefacts whose origins are often at the edge between the natural and artificial. How do you perceive your art in terms of transcending boundaries-whether between city and forest or in exploring the boundaries between natural and artificial? Michal Machciník: The phenomenon of periphery and the transition from city to nature interests me a lot, because though I live in town I've always felt a pull toward nature, and that's where I spent most of my free time. And it's the space between nature and the urban environment that I've been looking at over a long period. In repeated walks into the country, I gather all kinds of natural materials, human-made artefacts, and inscriptions on tree bark. Having spent many years on such creative work, I'm finding that the further and deeper I penetrate, the more my finds are interesting and artistically unique. These trips play a very important role for me, as I see the journey itself to a concrete place to be part of the whole process of my art work. Over time I started to notice uncommon situations in the woodlands, which I would first document and photograph and then go back to. Later I gathered them together, and these finds resulted in making objects, ready-mades, sculptural installations or videos.
The exhibition in Košice’s East Slovak Gallery Ivan Šafranko – Krištof Kintera. Všetky cesty/All ... more The exhibition in Košice’s East Slovak Gallery Ivan Šafranko – Krištof Kintera. Všetky cesty/All the Ways is an unexpected encounter of two artists who at first glance have little in common. Ivan Šafranko (b. 1931), the Slovak painter, sculptor and university teacher, whose life and work has been particularly bound to the region of eastern Slovakia, is representative of the late modern. Krištof Kintera (b. 1973), younger by more than a generation, is among the most prominent figures in contemporary Czech sculpture. The curator Séverine Fromaigeat (of Museum Tinguely in Basel) prepared the exhibition, and her conception is consistent with the current notable discourse in art history theory. This has been significantly reflected in exhibition practice: fostering consideration of associative histories of art, contemplating non-linear models of time, exploring heterogenous temporalities of art, and creating space for inter-generational dialog of artists in juxtaposition. If the exhibition’s aim is to present together work by such diverse artists, while pointing to how they intersect even over the expanse of time, then it is surprising that it is nevertheless also resigned to an effort at placing them in interpretational frameworks, and seeking answers to the question of why the works in fact appear as they do. For the historical and social context of the pictures and objects are in the background at this exhibition, and the works come into contact and confront one another in a sort of vacuum in the gallery, in order to make their related visual signs most visible. Such a concept mainly emphasizes the formalist perspective of the art presented.
The study deals with the identification and interpretation of painted emblems from the second hal... more The study deals with the identification and interpretation of painted emblems from the second half of the 18th century, located on wooden choir stalls in the presbytery of the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Ľubica, Spiš region. Thirteen emblems are based on and explained in the book Mundus Symbolicus by Philippe Picinelli (1604-1667), which is a significant and monumental work, important for the knowledge of the visual culture of the 17th and 18th centuries. English Résumé in text
In the interdisciplinary reflection on the selected social phenomenon, Samuel Velebný guides us t... more In the interdisciplinary reflection on the selected social phenomenon, Samuel Velebný guides us through the network of non-obvious correlations, connects the analysis of locally specific conditions in the region with global influences and overlaps, examines the permeability of established boundaries between large categories of nature, play and culture, and finally, in the actual implementation of the works, confidently moves on the border of urbanism, design and visual art. Velebný´s approach can be characterized by a focus on the informative detail, patient untangling the bundle of correlations combined with the ability to think in broader contexts overcoming commonly perceived space-and-time relationships. In search of connections, he crosses the borders of disciplines, regions, continents and, ultimately, our home planet itself. For example, the concentrated interest in the cultural history of the potato beetle allows the artist to follow a subtle web of imagination, biology, military conflicts, colonialism, and the settlement of extraterrestrial spaces. He subjects the phenomenon of globalized football and its media representation to a similar discursive analysis. The persuasiveness and quality of Samuel Velebny’s works lies in his ability to create enriching objects and situations through which surprising correlations and exploratory cross-connections become visible in our living space.
The paper focuses on the issues related to the interpretation of visual art. It primarily themati... more The paper focuses on the issues related to the interpretation of visual art. It primarily thematizes the tension between images and words that occurs in the interpretation of artworks and art criticism. The cross-sectional comparison of the methodologically reflected writings and opinions
Exhibition Grow. Der Baum in der Kunst (September 23, 2022 – January 8, 2023) in Vienna ́s Lower ... more Exhibition Grow. Der Baum in der Kunst (September 23, 2022 – January 8, 2023) in Vienna ́s Lower Belvedere is a spatially, production-wise, but especially intellectually ambitious project accompanied by a publication whose content goes beyond the traditional catalogue genre. The curator of the exhibition and co-editor of the book is Miroslav Haľák, who works at the Austrian Belvedere Museum. At the centre of the thematic exhibition is the tree as a cultural phenomenon or category, visual motif, sign, metaphor, and symbol. The selected curatorial approach is transhistorical and transdisciplinary: through 102 works by 76 artists, from the 15th century to the present day, the tree is understood and interpreted in a spectrum of media, contexts, and discourses. From a curatorial point of view, the project is thought out in detail, and represents a unique example of a spectacular exhibition that is ecological not only thematically and declaratively, but also realistically and from a production point of view. The accompanying materials were made from recycled materials, and the criterion for selecting the exhibited works was to avoid expensive transportation with a negative impact on the environment. When preparing the exhibition, Miroslav Haľák had the opportunity to draw on his long-term art-historical research into the phenomenon of anthropomorphism. In 2021, his publication Face of Nature (Theory of Anthropomorphism in Modern Art) was published by the Slovak publishing house Petrus. This complex curatorial project also contributed to the establishment of Slovak art in an international context. The exhibition presented the works by Robert Bielik, Daniel Fischer, Michal Kern, Marek Kvetan, Zuzana Mináčová, Marek Ormandík and Dorota Sadovská.
Adrián Kobetič - Adam Korcsmáros (eds.): Je ešte čo interpretovať? Zborník príspevkov k sedemdesiatym narodeninám prof. Mariana Zervana. Trnavské umenovedné centrum, 2022
The article focuses on the identification, mapping and interpretation of the visual and architect... more The article focuses on the identification, mapping and interpretation of the visual and architectural motifs of the natural vault, which can be observed in art and architecture around 1500. Vegetamorphic motifs visualising ideas about primitive architecture, or more precisely, about the beginnings of architecture, are associated with texts of classical antiquity – De architectura by Vitruvius and Germania from Tacitus. Humanists north of the Alps, partially inspired by the Italian humanists, who had already created around their history an extensive body of myth and historiography, also began to explore classical antiquity around 1500 in a similar attempt to connect with the past and to resurrect a culture, they could understand as roots of their own identity. The motif suggesting a primitive natural vault made by tying branches together is not an ornament or the result of an autonomous development of art, but a meaning-creating detail: It is the result of a conscious looking back to the past, connecting to a rediscovered tradition and visual manifestation of a chosen and cultivated cultural identity.
At the recent exhibition Sacral Stories in the Považská Gallery of Arts in Žilina (23 September -... more At the recent exhibition Sacral Stories in the Považská Gallery of Arts in Žilina (23 September -12 November 2022; curators Peter Salner and Peter Megyeši, architect Pavel Choma) Ľubo Stacho and Monika Stacho presented the results of a long-term and continuously developed artistic program, which can be characterized by the empathetic and ecumenical examination of the manifestations of the spiritual culture of the past and present. They start out from the premise that the human approach to the transcendental is an anthropological constant, while the relentless drive to exceed human limits and the search for and direction towards the sacred takes on different forms in time and space. The artistic duo focuses on observing, documenting, presenting, and interpreting these specific cultural traces, and proves that the territory of today's Slovakia is a space for developing the historical spiritual heritage and the preservation of long-standing traditions, but also a place of tragic historical ruptures. The exhibition is divided into six thematic chapters, but their boundaries are permeable: Past, Rituals, Culture, Consumerism, Sadness and Beauty.
Kostol sv. Mikuláša v Podunajských Biskupiciach vo svetle nových výskumov, 2019
Cieľom príspevku je zhodnotenie odkrytých a reštaurovaných stredovekých nástenných malieb v sakri... more Cieľom príspevku je zhodnotenie odkrytých a reštaurovaných stredovekých nástenných malieb v sakristii, presbytériu a na triumfálnom oblúku kostola. Text sa zaoberá datovaním jednotlivých maliarskych vrstiev, ich formálnou analýzou a prináša komparáciu biskupických malieb s príbuznými dielami na našom území. Autori sa taktiež pokúšajú maľby zaradiť do širšieho európskeho kontextu s prihliadnutím k ich možným štýlovým východiskám. Jednotlivé maliarske vrstvy radia do obdobia od 40. rokov 14. storočia, po začiatok 16. storočia. Druhá časť príspevku sa venuje ikonografickému programu kostola. Cieľom je identifikácia jednotlivých námetov obrazov, ich zaradenie do ikonografických súvislostí a napokon aj pokus o súhrnnú interpretáciu maliarskej výzdoby kostola.
The text deals with the iconography of the medieval wall paintings in the churches in Rimavské Br... more The text deals with the iconography of the medieval wall paintings in the churches in Rimavské Brezovo and Liptovské Sliače. Both of these paintings of female figures holding vessels and beset by demons represent the specific motif of a landlady or tavern keeper suffering in Hell. Depictions of the figure of the landlady in combination with demons can be found throughout medieval Europe from the early 14th century until the early modern period, and negative portrayals of the character appear in numerous literary sources of the period. The preserved paintings in Rimavské Brezovo and Liptovské Sliače are valuable evidence of eschatological concepts and the ways in which they were disseminated in the 14th and 15th centuries.
In the Orthodox synagogue in Košice, Martin Piaček (b. 1972) created the installation Metaforum, ... more In the Orthodox synagogue in Košice, Martin Piaček (b. 1972) created the installation Metaforum, grand in space and demanding to produce, and made accessible to spectators from 10 June to 10 July. The realization, curated by Nikolas Bernáth in collaboration with Košice's VUNU Gallery, is in a certain sense a departure from the artist's earlier work, as it particularly took on questions of national history and identity, and contexts of art in public space. The Košice realization demonstrates the change in Piaček's artistic direction, as he has been exploring the relationship between nature and culture, chiefly endeavouring to overcome how they are understood in a dualistic manner. Reflecting on alternative/non-linear is part of viewing it in this perspective. These tendencies are quite legible in this Orthodox synagogue installation.
Profil súčasného výtvarného umenia / The Contemporary Art Magazine, 2020
Periphery, Boundaries and Moments of Crossing Over: Notes on the Work of Michal Machciník
Michal... more Periphery, Boundaries and Moments of Crossing Over: Notes on the Work of Michal Machciník
Michal Machciník (b. 1989), even in his thesis work undertaken in 2015 in the Studio of 3D Creativity at Košice’s Faculty of Arts, has always focused on untraditional topics and applying unusual creative principles, which now characterize his current sculpture work. This is dominated by gathering materials in the forest space, putting them together in a variety of ways to make objects of ambiguous meanings and challenging aesthetics. Channel of Messages from the Edge of the Society / Kanál správ z okraja spoločnosti (2012– 2016) is a series of works documenting forest graffiti – texts, signs and symbols, inscribed in tree bark. What they have to say reflects a wide scale of human experience, from love notes, banalities and vulgarisms to political slogans and music fan messages. Reliefs for Latour /Reliéfy pre Latoura (2018) are found artefacts and natural materials combined with historical technical drawings and classroom graphic schemes, creating wholes that are aesthetically surprising and semantically provocative. Tribute to the Woodpecker: cast of woodpecker hole /Pocta ďatľovi: odliatok dutiny vytvorenej ďatľom (2014 – 2020) is a capturing and making visible of outwardly undetectable remnants of the natural activities of woodpeckers, left in the hollows of tree trunks. In his latest Wunderkammer /Kabinet kuriozít he built an assortment of objects combining found natural materials, animal taxidermy, technical components and other human creations. The ensemble comprises a disquieting aggregate, whose ambiguous taxonomy evokes a speculative look at the world evocative of pre-modern science, as represented in cabinets of curiosities (Kunstkammer/Wunderkammer). Whereas these pre-museum expositions during the Renaissance had the intention of grasp the world in a microcosm, or to present a “theatre of the world” through this collection, in Michal Machciník’s work it is a way of reconsidering categories that we had – obviously too soon – considered settled once and for all.
Profil súčasného výtvarného umenia / The Contemporary Art Magazine, 2020
In your creative process, you're very often at the city's periphery and in forests, creating a pi... more In your creative process, you're very often at the city's periphery and in forests, creating a piece or appropriating artefacts whose origins are often at the edge between the natural and artificial. How do you perceive your art in terms of transcending boundaries-whether between city and forest or in exploring the boundaries between natural and artificial? Michal Machciník: The phenomenon of periphery and the transition from city to nature interests me a lot, because though I live in town I've always felt a pull toward nature, and that's where I spent most of my free time. And it's the space between nature and the urban environment that I've been looking at over a long period. In repeated walks into the country, I gather all kinds of natural materials, human-made artefacts, and inscriptions on tree bark. Having spent many years on such creative work, I'm finding that the further and deeper I penetrate, the more my finds are interesting and artistically unique. These trips play a very important role for me, as I see the journey itself to a concrete place to be part of the whole process of my art work. Over time I started to notice uncommon situations in the woodlands, which I would first document and photograph and then go back to. Later I gathered them together, and these finds resulted in making objects, ready-mades, sculptural installations or videos.
The exhibition in Košice’s East Slovak Gallery Ivan Šafranko – Krištof Kintera. Všetky cesty/All ... more The exhibition in Košice’s East Slovak Gallery Ivan Šafranko – Krištof Kintera. Všetky cesty/All the Ways is an unexpected encounter of two artists who at first glance have little in common. Ivan Šafranko (b. 1931), the Slovak painter, sculptor and university teacher, whose life and work has been particularly bound to the region of eastern Slovakia, is representative of the late modern. Krištof Kintera (b. 1973), younger by more than a generation, is among the most prominent figures in contemporary Czech sculpture. The curator Séverine Fromaigeat (of Museum Tinguely in Basel) prepared the exhibition, and her conception is consistent with the current notable discourse in art history theory. This has been significantly reflected in exhibition practice: fostering consideration of associative histories of art, contemplating non-linear models of time, exploring heterogenous temporalities of art, and creating space for inter-generational dialog of artists in juxtaposition. If the exhibition’s aim is to present together work by such diverse artists, while pointing to how they intersect even over the expanse of time, then it is surprising that it is nevertheless also resigned to an effort at placing them in interpretational frameworks, and seeking answers to the question of why the works in fact appear as they do. For the historical and social context of the pictures and objects are in the background at this exhibition, and the works come into contact and confront one another in a sort of vacuum in the gallery, in order to make their related visual signs most visible. Such a concept mainly emphasizes the formalist perspective of the art presented.
The study deals with the identification and interpretation of painted emblems from the second hal... more The study deals with the identification and interpretation of painted emblems from the second half of the 18th century, located on wooden choir stalls in the presbytery of the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Ľubica, Spiš region. Thirteen emblems are based on and explained in the book Mundus Symbolicus by Philippe Picinelli (1604-1667), which is a significant and monumental work, important for the knowledge of the visual culture of the 17th and 18th centuries. English Résumé in text
Profil súčasného výtvarného umenia / Profil Contemporary Art Magazine, 2018
The book by W. J. T. Mitchella: Picture theory: Essays on verbal and visual representation, which... more The book by W. J. T. Mitchella: Picture theory: Essays on verbal and visual representation, which was first published in 1994, has been, after 22 years, made available to Czech and Slovak readers with a Czech translation thanks to the Prague Publishing House Karolinum (W. J. T. Mitchell: Teorie obrazu: eseje o verbální a vizuální reprezentaci. Praha: Univerzita Karlova, nakladatelství Karolinum, 2016. ISBN 978-80-246-3205-5). This, today already classical work of visual studies, which in the 1990s contributed to the so-called pictorial turn, was selected for translation also for the reason that – as its reviewer writes – “after the massive spread of the internet and smartphones and the development of social networks that reinforce the communication role of images” – the criticism of visual culture is much more needed than it was 20 years ago. The reviewer offers a detailed interpretation of the individual chapters of the book, and, in the conclusion it reiterates the timeliness of the author´s critical approach to the world, which is so important in our “post-truth world...” full of sharing conspiracies, fake news and hoaxes shaping our perception of reality.
Profil súčasného výtvarného umenia / Profil contemporary art magazine , 2017
The book Object compiled by Václav Janoščík in 2015 from twelve studies was created in connection... more The book Object compiled by Václav Janoščík in 2015 from twelve studies was created in connection to the exhibitions of Return of the Object and the Disorder of Things in the Prague Gallery Kvalitář (11. 9. – 6. 11. 2015). In the introductory passage, the editor immediately drew us into the current philosophical discussions and outlines the basic ideational concepts and terminology apparatus: speculative realism, object-oriented ontology, a turn to an object, post-internet and accelerationism. Whereas in the Czech and Slovak environment, this publication is the first acquaintance with this ideational circle, it requires an adequate inclusion in the current discourses and contexts of artistic operation. With respect to its scope, the review will be continually published on the pages of the Profile magazine.
Profil súčasného výtvarného umenia / Profil contemporary art magazine 2/2017
The book Object compiled by Václav Janoščík in 2015 from twelve studies was created in connection... more The book Object compiled by Václav Janoščík in 2015 from twelve studies was created in connection to the exhibitions of Return of the Object and the Disorder of Things in the Prague Gallery Kvalitář (11. 9. - 6. 11. 2015). In the introductory passage, the editor immediately drew us into the current philosophical discussions and outlines the basic ideational concepts and terminology apparatus: speculative realism, object-oriented ontology, a turn to an object, post-internet and accelerationism. Whereas in the Czech and Slovak environment, this publication is the first acquaintance with this ideational circle, it requires an adequate inclusion in the current discourses and contexts of artistic operation. With respect to its scope, the review will be continually published on the pages of the Profile magazine.
The book Object compiled by Václav Janoščík in 2015 from twelve studies was created in connection... more The book Object compiled by Václav Janoščík in 2015 from twelve studies was created in connection to the exhibitions of Return of the Object and the Disorder of Things in the Prague Gallery Kvalitář (11. 9. - 6. 11. 2015). In the introductory passage, the editor immediately drew us into the current philosophical discussions and outlines the basic ideational concepts and terminology apparatus: speculative realism, object-oriented ontology, a turn to an object, post-internet and accelerationism. Whereas in the Czech and Slovak environment, this publication is the first acquaintance with this ideational circle, it requires an adequate inclusion in the current discourses and contexts of artistic operation. With respect to its scope, the review will be continually published on the pages of the Profile magazine.
The authors of the anthology undertook to carry out an ambitious project: to review the fine art ... more The authors of the anthology undertook to carry out an ambitious project: to review the fine art reviews, thus creating " metacritique ". In the publication they outlined a number of core themes, each of which would deserve a thorough analysis. Many questions were raised, but not answered. The authors only recorded and termed the particular aspects of the analysis as a scientific challenge or issue. An attempt to create metacritique failed, because the authors did not select a methodology which would enable to achieve relevant results.
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Papers by Peter Megyeši
Michal Machciník (b. 1989), even in his thesis work undertaken in 2015 in the Studio of 3D Creativity at Košice’s Faculty of Arts, has always focused on untraditional topics and applying unusual creative principles, which now characterize his current sculpture work. This is dominated by gathering materials in the forest space, putting them together in a variety of ways to make objects of ambiguous meanings and challenging aesthetics. Channel of Messages from the Edge of the Society / Kanál správ z okraja spoločnosti (2012– 2016) is a series of works documenting forest graffiti
– texts, signs and symbols, inscribed in tree bark. What they have to say reflects a wide scale of human experience, from love notes, banalities and vulgarisms to political slogans and music fan messages. Reliefs for Latour /Reliéfy pre Latoura (2018) are found artefacts and natural materials combined with historical technical drawings and classroom graphic schemes, creating wholes that are aesthetically surprising and semantically provocative. Tribute to the Woodpecker: cast of woodpecker hole /Pocta ďatľovi: odliatok dutiny vytvorenej ďatľom (2014 – 2020) is a capturing and making visible of outwardly undetectable remnants of the natural activities of woodpeckers, left in the hollows of tree trunks. In his latest Wunderkammer /Kabinet kuriozít he built an assortment of objects combining found natural materials, animal taxidermy, technical components and other human creations. The ensemble comprises a disquieting aggregate, whose ambiguous taxonomy evokes a speculative look at the world evocative of pre-modern science, as represented in cabinets of curiosities (Kunstkammer/Wunderkammer). Whereas these pre-museum expositions during the Renaissance had the intention of grasp the world in a microcosm, or to present a “theatre of the world” through this collection, in Michal Machciník’s work it is a way of reconsidering categories that we had – obviously too soon – considered settled once and for all.
English Résumé in text
Michal Machciník (b. 1989), even in his thesis work undertaken in 2015 in the Studio of 3D Creativity at Košice’s Faculty of Arts, has always focused on untraditional topics and applying unusual creative principles, which now characterize his current sculpture work. This is dominated by gathering materials in the forest space, putting them together in a variety of ways to make objects of ambiguous meanings and challenging aesthetics. Channel of Messages from the Edge of the Society / Kanál správ z okraja spoločnosti (2012– 2016) is a series of works documenting forest graffiti
– texts, signs and symbols, inscribed in tree bark. What they have to say reflects a wide scale of human experience, from love notes, banalities and vulgarisms to political slogans and music fan messages. Reliefs for Latour /Reliéfy pre Latoura (2018) are found artefacts and natural materials combined with historical technical drawings and classroom graphic schemes, creating wholes that are aesthetically surprising and semantically provocative. Tribute to the Woodpecker: cast of woodpecker hole /Pocta ďatľovi: odliatok dutiny vytvorenej ďatľom (2014 – 2020) is a capturing and making visible of outwardly undetectable remnants of the natural activities of woodpeckers, left in the hollows of tree trunks. In his latest Wunderkammer /Kabinet kuriozít he built an assortment of objects combining found natural materials, animal taxidermy, technical components and other human creations. The ensemble comprises a disquieting aggregate, whose ambiguous taxonomy evokes a speculative look at the world evocative of pre-modern science, as represented in cabinets of curiosities (Kunstkammer/Wunderkammer). Whereas these pre-museum expositions during the Renaissance had the intention of grasp the world in a microcosm, or to present a “theatre of the world” through this collection, in Michal Machciník’s work it is a way of reconsidering categories that we had – obviously too soon – considered settled once and for all.
English Résumé in text