PR / Stranger Than Paradise_ENG

Stranger Than Paradise introduces the intimacy of artistic “Balkans”

29 May, Prague – MeetFactory Gallery is pleased to announce the upcoming exhibition project Stranger Than Paradise, which will be on show from the 10th of June through the 2nd of September 2018, with the opening night on the 9th of June.

The exhibition project is the collaboration of gallery curator Eva Riebová and independent curator Tevž Logar. It will offer a comprehensive presentation of artistic practices that emerged in the specific geopolitical frame of South East Europe in different temporal contexts. With the exhibition Stranger Than Paradise, MeetFactory Gallery continues its long-term mission of presenting tendencies in contemporary art with a strong focus on international art relating to the discourse and development of contemporary art in the Czech Republic over the past two decades.

Stranger Than Paradise will present works by eight artists: Pavel Brăila (MD), Jasmina Cibic (SI), Lana Čmajčanin (BA), Tomislav Gotovac (HR), Vlado Martek (HR), Alban Muja (XK), Tanja Ostojić (RS), and Mark Požlep (SI). The selection brings together artists of different generations, some of them having already reached acclaim or even become established figures in art history (Tomislav Gotovac, Jasmina Cibic, Vlado Martek), while others belong to a younger generation (Lana Čmajčanin, Alban Muja).

In light of avoiding the frame of the “Balkan exhibition”, which has appeared in contemporary art from the late nineties onwards, this exhibition – whilst presenting artistic practices from the region – turns away from creating a specific geo-political narrative, choosing instead to point out specifics that relate to the artworks’ conditions of production.

Stranger Than Paradise is conceived as an exploration of the artistic practices of artists who, in one way or another, use aspects of their private lives to disseminate a message through works of art. The line that divides the spheres of life and art is thus blurred, making the art direct, astonishingly honest, and utterly straightforward. A common feature of all the works included in the exhibition is the artist’s decision to directly expose his or her personal – or even intimate – statements, which are at the same time very precisely grounded in particular political, social or economic conditions.

The opening of the exhibition is the part of Prague Museum Night Event on 9th June. The first guided tour of this exhibition will be on 20th June at 8 PM.

Stranger Than Paradise
10th June –2nd September 2018
Artists: Pavel Brăila, Jasmina Cibic, Lana Čmajčanin, Tomislav Gotovac, Vlado Martek, Alban Muja, Tanja Ostojić, Mark Požlep
Curators: Tevž Logar, Eva Riebová
Opening: 9 June 2018, the part of Prague Museum Night at MeetFactory

Other events at MeetFactory Galleries:
9th June          Jimena Mendoza: Lo – opening at Kostka Gallery 
9th June          Prague Museum Night at MeetFactory 
20th June        Stranger Than Paradise – guided tour  

Contact:
Zuzana Kolouchová → PR → zuzana.kolouchova@meetfactory.cz → +420 739 055 862
Libor Galia → PR → libor.galia@meetfactory.cz  

MeetFactory is supported in 2018 by a grant from the City of Prague amounting to 10.000.000 CZK.