CT / Kostka Gallery / Jan Poupě (CZ): Flow
Curator: Jaro Varga
Opening: 18. 2. 2016,
19:00
Exhibition duration: 18. 2. – 3. 4. 2016
In
the center of the Flow exhibition of
Jan Poupě stands a monumental object, dominating the space of Kostka Gallery.
Here its author further develops his long-term interest in natural and
meteorological phenomena, this time stepping out of the two-dimensional canvas,
trying to grasp this complex theme by means of a complex environment – a total
installation. Jan has created an aerodynamic tunnel with an airflow enhanced by
the effect of mist floating through a model of a city placed in the tunnel’s
lower part, surrounding its buildings and forming vortices in the air. Jan
Poupě creates an artificially simulated reality, the fact he does not deny,
rather on the contrary, he admits and highlights it. It is a “model of
flowing”, a utopic gesture and temporary illusion, giving us the chance of
visual observation, but also showing the impossibility to penetrate this
technical-natural mechanism with other senses than the sight. Rather then
displaying his fascination with natural phenomena, Jan Poupě postulates the
question of borders between reality, perception and representation. The
construed reality shown to us at the Kostka Gallery might be understood as an
art gallery space put to test in its ability to influence our apprehension of
the cycles of nature. The question of whether a living matter can be replaced
by an artificial one or how something artificial could possibly become alive by
means of proper retelling, took the artist’s fancy. The simulated airflow is
not a technical replacement of a real natural phenomenon, but by means of an
aura of originality, livelihood and historicity it becomes a unique
installation, a life itself.
Another frequent motif appearing in the work of Jan Poupě is the city.
Author rethinks the city urbanism and through the mathematical analysis he
generates a kind of matrix, or a set of fractals that are representations of
encoded urban combinations. He reduces selected systems (natural and
artificial) to the most basic elements and he assigns them a simple geometric
representation. What we look in the gallery, except looking at painting or
installation, is the record, map, register, study, chart, formula, code,
symbol.
Jan
Poupě (born 1988 in Prague) graduated from the Prague Academy of Fine Arts
(Atelier Painting I, professor Jiří Sopko). In 2011 Jan made two study visits
within the Academy (Guest Professor Atelier, Silke Otto-Knapp; and Atelier
Intermedia II, Professor Jiří Příhoda). In 2012 Jan paid a study visit to the
Facultad de Bellas Artes, Universidad Complutense de Madrid in Spain, where he
created a painting-istallation called Inner
Space in microRezidensies Islandia. Recently Jan presented his works at the
Fait Gallery in Brno, as part of his solo exhibition called The Set of Views (2015) at the Vyšehrad
Gallery Prague, as part of the Matheria
exhibition (2015), and at the Gallery of Art Critics (Prague), the Landscape = Painting exhibition (2015).
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Open daily 1 – 8 pm and according to
the evening program. Voluntary admission fee.
Contact and more information:
Jaro Varga → curator
+420 775 655 295
jaro.varga@meetfactory.cz
Šárka Maroušková → PR Manager
+420 723
706 249sarka.marouskova@meetfactory.cz
MeetFactory is supported
in 2016 by a grant from the City of Prague amounting to 10.000.000 CZK.
CT - Flow - ENG.pdf