POKOJE 2024

In thirty-five rooms of an abandoned corner building at 2 Hybernská Street—formerly home, among other institutions, to the State National Security—students of art, design, and architecture presented their interpretations of the phenomenon of growth. Video installations, objects, paintings, and various playful concepts were created by student collectives from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland. The site-specific exhibition ran from 8 to 17 November and was accompanied by a highly topical public program.

The theme of growth was not understood merely as a linear process, but as a complex and often ambivalent phenomenon. Many installations reflected a nostalgia for childhood, when growth symbolized innocence and discovery, while adulthood is often perceived as a period marked by the loss of illusions and confrontation with reality. This personal dimension was complemented by a critique of contemporary economic and social growth, strongly influenced by the degrowth movement.
The artists questioned traditional notions of constant progress and growth, called for a rethinking of humanity’s relationship to nature, and pointed to the necessity of sustainable development. Ecological themes resonated throughout the installations, as did questions of personal burnout, frequently linked to the pressure of continuous growth—whether professional, personal, or economic. In this context, growth acquires paradoxical meanings: on the one hand a goal, on the other a source of anxiety and exhaustion.

The thirteenth edition of the exhibition was held under the auspices of eight Czech universities and three international institutions:
Faculty of Architecture, Czech Technical University in Prague; Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art, University of West Bohemia in Pilsen; Faculty of Art and Architecture, Technical University of Liberec; Faculty of Art and Design, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem; Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Ostrava; Faculty of Multimedia Communications, Tomas Bata University in Zlín; as well as Prague’s UMPRUM (Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design) and AVU (Academy of Fine Arts), the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, the Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts, and the Academy of Arts in Banská Bystrica.

JURY AWARD:

The Jury Awards were granted to students of the Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art, University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, for the project Dangerously Beautiful / Beautifully Dangerous (Vanda Kyzlinková, Valerie Kolářová, Matouš Scholler); to students of the Faculty of Art and Design, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, for the project Don’t Forget to Tip Your Landlord (Šimon Roubal, Matyáš Slabý, Josef Šlapák, Filip Trubač, Jakub Franta); and to students of UMPRUM Prague in collaboration with the Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art, University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, for the project Somnium (Lost in Dreams) (Anna Tůmová, Julia Gorshkova, Helena Todorová).

Jury:
Eva Mráziková (curator at the Emil Filla Gallery), Julie Béna (multimedia artist), and David Kořínek (journalist and intermedia artist, member of the art collective Rafani).

Accompanying Program:

10 November, 12:30–16:30
vy(GROWTH)? : Children’s Workshop led by Tadeáš Polák

A children’s workshop that will culminate in the creation of the Room of the Youngest Art, which visitors will be able to encounter throughout the entire duration of the exhibition. The workshop is led by artist Tadeáš Polák.

11 November, 18:00–19:30
Slow Down, Good Things Take Time (workshop with Petr Bouška)

Why is it important to slow down, and how can we do it? The workshop Slow Down, Good Things Take Time explores the benefits of slowing down from the perspectives of psychology, the body, relationships, freedom, spirituality, and art. The workshop is led by psychohygiene lecturer and host of the Balanc podcast, Petr Bouška.

13 November 2023, 18:00–19:30
Degrowth and Art (panel discussion)
Guests: Anna Remešová, Martin Čech, Petra Widžová, et al.

A panel discussion focusing on the connections between the philosophy of degrowth and art and artistic practice.

16 November, 15:00–17:00
A Walk through Urban Wilderness with Biologist Jiří Sádlo

A guided walk with biologist Jiří Sádlo focusing on the encroachment of urban wilderness and on worlds we may not notice, yet which surround us.

Meeting point: in front of Vila Štvanice, Štvanice Island
The walk will take place in all weather conditions and will end at the café of Vila Štvanice.

GUIDED TOURS:

13.11. (17:30) a 15.11. (17:30)