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About the gallery
We are opening the Art brut Prague Gallery as the first exhibition space in Prague focused exclusively on the work of artists who, for various reasons, are unable or unwilling to join the mainstream art scene.
“Here, things are raised proudly
and more stabbingly,
the world is full of edges
on which we have
hurt ourselves many times.”
The quote, taken from Josef Čapek’s groundbreaking book The Most Modest Art, will greet all visitors at the entrance as a foreshadowing of the type of work they will encounter here.
To clearly define the gallery, the name was chosen after the painter Jean Dubuffet’s famous term art brut – usually translated in Czech as “art in its raw state”.
But not all the artists the gallery will represent necessarily fall into the category of art brut as it is usually conceived. Some of them, for various reasons, become outsiders, not even classifiable in this field.
The selection of the artists is basically conditioned by the absence of any conscious calculation in their work aimed at achieving success in the world of contemporary art.
The gallery also wants to support its artists by making their works available for sale.
Exhibitions
Ladislav Svoboda:
Colourful Jungle
23. 3.–27. 4. 2023
Curated by Jaromír Typlt
The sixth exhibition at the Art brut Prague gallery focuses on the latest, previously unpublished paintings of Ladislav Svoboda. The creation of these works spans the period of five years, the time elapsed since his last solo exhibition. Svoboda continues to develop his unmistakable style of cryptic colourful drawings, the multicolored kaleidoscopic structures threatening to overwhelm the viewer, who only slowly begins to discern the previously hidden figures. Their perfect mimicry of the background almost invites to think of protective colouring. Also striking is the need to completely fill in the entire canvas, known in art history as “horror vacui” – the fear of the void.
Through these paintings has Ladislav Svoboda (born 1986) discovered a way to overcome his serious inhibitions in communication with the outside world. Despite being diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, he managed to successfully complete his Master’s degree at university, he continues to write science fiction stories and is very active on social media. Since 2013 he has been one of the core artists of the Joyful Creativity Studio and for the last two years, he has also been a regular at the Barvolam studio for neurodiverse artists.
A comprehensive profile of Ladislav Svoboda with reproductions of his paintings from 2013-2022 will be published concurrently with the exhibition in the 130th issue of Revolver Revue in March 2023. The article will include an accompanying study of Svoboda’s works by Jaromír Typlt.
Ladislav Svoboda has previously been published in Analogon, Opus musicum, Týdeník Reporter and other media. In 2018, he was represented at several exhibitions in Prague (the outdoor Artwall gallery, Kampus Hybernská, Café Lajka). Shortly after the exhibition at Art brut Prague, Ladislav Svoboda should also be featured in a similarly focused gallery in Krakow (Stacja Badawcza).
Author of the text © Jaromír Typlt
Read more:
About the authors
The main circle of authors is formed by the persons who create in the Studio of Joyful Creation at Letná: Dagmar Filípková, Šárka Hojaková, Dominik Jirsa, Jarmila Jandová, Marie Kohoutková, Václav Kuklík, Marie Kůsová, Lorenzo, Karel Pajma, Lukáš Paleček, Vojtěch Proske, George Radojčič, Iveta Riminka Filí, Ladislav Svoboda will be presented here.
However, internationally known names such as Anna Zemánková or Zdeněk Košek will also be represented. Other authors who have already gained attention include Hana Fousková, La Inthonkaew, Ota Prouza, Helena Skalická and Tomáš Krupka.
Practical information
The gallery will be open five afternoons a week, Tuesday to Saturday 2 – 7pm.
www.artbrutpraha.cz
artbrut.praha@gmail.com
+420 606 028 942 (during opening hours)
+420 602 646 665 (out of hours)
Postal address: Galerie Art brut Praha, Resslova 300/6,
120 00 Praha 2 – Nové Město.
About the place and the founder
The gallery acquired its space after the renovation of a long unused technical building at St. Wenceslas Church in Zderaz.
The operator is the Altán Art association, which has so far been active mainly in Letná: in 2013 it opened the Studio of Joyful Creation here as the first Czech studio providing facilities for artists falling into the category of art brut, and in 2017 it opened up also to the wider public by establishing the ART Cultural and Community Centre, where senior citizens and people with disabilities develop their artistic interests together. Vladimír Drábek is the main representative of the association. More information on the website www.altanart.cz .
Curator
Jaromír Typlt (1973) is a poet, performer and essayist. During 2000-2010 he worked in Liberec as a curator of photography and contemporary art exhibitions at the Small Exhibition Hall and then at the U Rytíře Gallery. Since the end of the 1990s he has also helped to promote the work of overlooked authors, publishing the first book on Zdeněk Košek (2001), literary texts by Hana Fousková, František Novák and many others. In 2018, he started cooperation with the association Altán Art. He has long focused on the topic of “écrits bruts” – written expressions in art brut.
Gallery partners
Studio of Joyful Creation at Letná
Czechoslovak Hussite Church in Prague 2 – New Town
Graphic studio chapter
abcd praha
Media partners
Analogon
Revolver Revue
Souvislosti
I am convinced that a considerable circle of artists, those interested in art brut and the
Pavel Konečný, art brut collector
professional public can form around the Art Brut Prague gallery in a very short time. The
project is a positive response not only to initiatives stemming from the vibrant undercurrent of
our spontaneous creativity, but also responds to calls from foreign cultural institutions to
strengthen the voice of outsider art, including by improving intercultural cooperation and
dialogue across European borders.