Svätopluk Mikyta / Ornamentiana

While loosely following in the wake of the previous exhibition, the second part of this overview of the Fait Gallery collection represents, in a certain sense, its opposite. In contrast to the previous instalment, which primarily represented abstract art from the second half of the 20th century, with a focus on geometry and structure, Czech modernism and its resonance and evident influences in contemporary Czech painting, this exhibition directs its attention towards art that places greater emphasis on depicting the real world. Contradicting the artists working in the spirit of geometric abstraction, presenting more universal subject matter, these works are inspired by reality, depicting it more or less explicitly while bringing to the forefront an appreciation of the human figure and its depiction.

It is precisely this fascination with the human body and physicality, manifested either directly or metaphorically through fragments, tools, and situations inextricably intertwined with it, that forms the framework of the exhibition. As such, the exhibition features a number of works reflecting themes such as sport, while at the same time exploring a certain existential decadence as well as aspects of humour within the context of this fascination with the human condition.

Chronologically, we loosely move on to works created predominantly after the year 2000, which is also evidenced by the wider representation of the medium of installation, an example of which is the large-scale work Deep in Enemy Territory by the Rafani Group, one of the group's most extensive projects. The installation fulfils an integral part of the exhibition and, as was already mentioned, comments on a complex psychological situation through the relationship between visual art and the symbolism of sport.

The exhibition follows a predefined selective framework, yet it does not aspire to present an indisputable message regarding a specific issue or topic, a fact that is understandable given its nature. It does, however, seek to showcase the fruits of Fait Gallery and Igor Fait's extensive collecting activities over the past 15 years, to present a series of high-quality works by both Czech and foreign artists, to allow them to come into their own in their individuality and, at the same time, to present the sphere in which these individualities coexist and support each other within a compact whole.

Ondřej Kotrč

Represented artists:

Vasil Artamonov & Alexej Klyuykov, Alžběta Bačíková, Ondřej Basjuk, Nina Beier, Marie Blabolilová, Josef Bolf, Radek Brousil, Jan Brož, Michel Comte, Milena Dopitová, Markéta Filipová, Jiří Franta & David Böhm, Jan Gemrot, Martin Gerboc, Michal Gogora, Damien Hirst, Katarína Hládeková & Ondřej Homola, Katarína Hládeková & Jiří Kovanda, Jakub Hošek, František Hudeček, Matyáš Chochola, Krištof Kintera, Eva Kmentová, Vendula Knopová, Vladimír Kokolia, Jiří Kolář, Eva Koťátková, Ondřej Kotrč, Alena Kotzmannová, Denisa Krausová, Nika Kupyrova, Alicja Kwade, Martin Lukáč, Kamila Maliňáková, Pavla Malinová, Pavel Matyska, Marek Meduna, Jan Merta, Svätopluk Mikyta, Kamila Musilová, Jan Nálevka & Václav Stratil, Pavla Naďová, Petr Nikl, Michal Pěchouček, Ivan Pinkava, Jan Poupě, Skupina Rafani, Tomáš Roubal, Lucia Sceranková, Pavla Sceranková, František Skála, Matěj Smetana, Václav Stratil, Tomáš Svoboda, Robert Šalanda, Adriena Šimotová, Jiří Topínka, Lubomír Typlt, unconductive trash, Kateřina Vincourová, Lenka Vítková

The exhibition Selection from the Fait Gallery Collection II is a sales exhibition and is the last exhibition of Fait Gallery in its current space at Ve Vaňkovce 2.

Svätopluk Mikyta / Ornamentiana

30.11.2016 - 17.01.2017

Fait Gallery MEM
Ve Vaňkovce 2, Brno
30. 11. 2016 - 17. 1. 2017
Vernissage: 30.11.2016 at 19:00
Curators:: Lucia Tkáčová & Anetta Mona Chisa

Svätopluk Mikyta experiments for a long time with materiality and visuality, and in his work playfully rearranges potential of the existing in the direction to the past and the future. His work is "hauntological" (Derrida), meaning that his themes and the creative process are marked by the „disjointed time". He does not address the time point of pure origin, always only the absent presence: big and small history, remixing of signs and symbols, designing new iconographies, samples of the new collective memories, alternatives of the reality tunnels, creating new beginnings and new ends, recycling of the old grammar, discarded books and dumped materials.

ORNAMENTIANA creates a fresh grid of correlations and searches for a new aesthetic. Remix of techniques and materials, collage-like installation approach, exploration of the very notion of „art” lead to a choreographed experience that includes the viewer into the overall assemblage.

ORNAMENTIANA changes the axes of our three-dimensional arena. It is based on Cartesian choreography of space, on regular but also moving grid of horizontals and verticals.

ORNAMENTIANA is a levitating surface full of relationships moving to the complexity of time and space, a visual manifest, detachment from the gravity of the committed towards the infinity, weightlessness, universality.

ORNAMENTIANA is a horizontal landscape, flat surface, horizontal sculpture, in which the unique vertical is made by the visitor of the exhibition, whose presence expands it by another coordinate.

ORNAMENTIANA reconstructs and translates ornaments, renders new visibility and allows the viewer to feel the archaeology of time. It is reoccurring use and subsequent stigmatization of folklore. Past future, future past.

ORNAMENTIANA is the acceleration of existing aesthetics. Exploring of the visual and material nature of perceiving of the world here and now. Anadigilogtal.

ORNAMENTIANA reviews the formal aspects of art on the border between high and low, the circumstances of their production in the context of never sleeping society.

ORNAMENTIANA is non-hierarchical, de-centralized, de-politicized. It denies the affirmative, fixed position, proclaiming, barricades and it contradicts our vision about our demonstrative political-activist gesture.

T: Lucia Tkáčová & Anetta Mona Chisa

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