|
|
|
|
|
||
|
||
| News | Business | Feature | Opinion | Sports |
Tourist Info |
Classifieds |
Wednesday, March 29, 2000
 A grand confrontation Czech Centre London hosts an eclectic international exhibit By Simona Mayerova-Goddard Even a dictatorship can't keep a good artist down. When unofficial Czech artists wanted to exhibit new work in the 1980s, they had to organize secret shows -- often on very short notice. Publicity for these events consisted mostly of whispers. The shows took place in the studios, apartments or houses of artists, or in disused industrial buildings on the outskirts of Prague. While he was a student at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, Jiri David, one of the main organizers of such exhibitions, co-founded a series of clandestine shows called Konfrontace (Confrontation). Their aim was to encourage dialogue, both among young artists and with the older generation of unofficial peers. Now Konfrontace has been given new a lease on life, as well as a larger audience, with an exhibition that opened March 14 at the Czech Centre London. Works by David and other Czech artists active at that time can now be seen even by those who don't know the secret password. This show is a groundbreaking event, both literally and figuratively. First, the entire ground floor of the Czech Centre had to be rebuilt to accommodate it. And because it contains works by British artists as well as Czech, this represents the group's first "confrontation" with other European artists in a shared exhibition space. Western friends In 1993, the street-level windows of the British Council in Prague (at Narodni 10, downtown Prague) were transformed into a window gallery to showcase work by young artists, mostly English, looking for a foothold in the art world and a stimulating new environment. Some of those artists are featured in the London show, along with several prominent Czech artists such as David, who describes the show as "an enjoyable confrontation of English and Czech art." Confrontation certainly exists in the show. A white French poodle by Edward Lipski, with blood-red, open jaws, greets viewers as they descend the stairs. Alongside it is Vladimir Skrepl's fairytale-like "Cosy Homes," where two adult-sized rag dolls are seated on a log overlooking a painted carpet, holding hands and grinning contentedly. Christine Borland has produced a piece called "Prisoner's Head," consisting of a lifesized papier-mCche head laying on a pillow. Sitting as it does, in a quiet corner of the room, one is almost afraid to speak too loudly for fear of waking the disembodied dozer. No such problem exists in the room containing the video installation "To Shave and Make-up" by Milena Dopitova. Here, the evidently dead subject's face is being shaved prior to his funeral. All types of art are represented, and curator Andree Cooke has done a remarkable job of mixing humorous pieces with work possessing more serious undertones. For the front window piece, a British art group known as Inventory has filled two display cases with used beer bottles, cans, and a wooden bench covered in intellectual graffiti. Ghostly shadows of Bohumil Hrabal swirl around the debris, signifying the celebrated Czech union of beer and philosophy. The space is virtually filled to bursting with video, photographs, paintings and other media, charging the room's atmosphere with excitement. But as David observes, "Although there is a great deal within this space, it doesn't feel overloaded." The ethos of Konfrontace is to drive art forward and to enhance the already strong links that exist between Czech and British artists. For the visitor it's a heady mix of styles and sights, showing that any differences in philosophy -- or at least in art -- between the two countries in the past are quickly being lost in the present. Older and new works by contemporary Czech and British artists. Ends May 14. Czech Centre, London, 95 Great Portland Street. Gallery open Tues.-Fri. 10-6, Sat. 11-5. Web site: www.czechcentre.org.uk Simona Mayerova-Goddard can be reached at features@praguepost.cz  TRAVEL FEATURES
|
Back to Top
Home