Rearranging Everyday Reality

Last chance to see one of the best art exhibitions in town

By Lukas Vallo

Once you open the door on the second floor of Prague Municipal Library’s City Gallery, you might think that you are in the wrong place. An old-school grocery store gives you an impression that you are suddenly 20 years back in time. It seems to be Krištof Kintera’s way of properly introducing visitors to his disoriented collection of sculptures and installations, by confusing them right at the beginning.

Kintera’s “Analysis Results” exhibition is a collection of older pieces and newer ones that have never been displayed. Odd-looking, weird, inspiring, thoughtful and full of fun are the best words to describe the exhibition. The themes of energy, consumerism and humanity are visible throughout, creating a good combination of abstract and specific artwork.

One whole floor of the Municipal Library’s historic building is devoted to exhibition, in which Kintera uses ordinary objects to express his feelings toward the world we live in. The pieces are a mix of static sculptures and moving and speaking objects, meant to express the mind of an artist while giving visitors a chance to make their own analysis and develop their own perspective on what they see.

Talking groceries

The exhibition fills 10 large rooms. Each artwork is unique and expresses different positive emotions, sometimes mixed with reactions from the visitors. While walking around the exhibits, viewers may get the impression that they are on a different planet. There are holes in the walls where sculptures of little businessmen, about one meter high, pose existential questions such as why do we live on this planet.

The first impression the visitor has when walking through an old plastic curtain is rather mixed. The background noise of a person talking about why people love each other makes you wonder where this sound is coming from. As you walk further and realize that the noise is coming from a yellow plastic bag full of groceries, you start to laugh.

Another room’s dominant artwork is a small factory puffing out smoke, accompanied by a large chair where you can sit and think about the meanings of Kintera’s artworks. The entryway to another room is partially blocked by a street lamp that was cut into two pieces and fell down, expanding to two rooms. The room where the lamp originates is equipped with rather new works by Kinteras. A devil playing drums while chipping a beer glass once in a while shows two Czech stereotypes: beer and fairy tales.

One of the most bizarre installations of the exhibit can be found in the fifth room. where a small man stands with his head towards the wall. Once you get closer, you can see a hole in front of his head, which is covered by a hood. You may be startled when the little man starts to bang his head against the wall randomly.

Taking wing in an office chair

A crow dressed in a suit sitting on a twig, talking totally out of context, introduces you to one of the last rooms. You can sit down in an office chair with wings attached to it and listen to the crow trying to figure out why it says phrases like “Google Jesus.”

For minutes and even hours after you step out from the exhibition, you can still feel the impression it made on you. The artist certainly wanted to bring attention to the modern world we live in, and how we are part of this world. The noise of some installations reminds you of a construction site in this hectic world.

Kintera doesn’t explain the meaning of his sculptures and installations, but rather gives people a chance to think about the meaning for themselves. In a YouTube video titled “Výsledky analýzy,” the artist explains the dry and boring economic concepts that he used to define the results of his lifelong analysis. “Inspirations are flowing ideas which appear in dreams, or on the metro,” he says. “Inspiration can be an old carpet. I am inspired by everything around me.”

For those already familiar with Kintera’s work, this latest exhibition is nothing shocking. However, for those who are not familiar with what this artist does, it might be an extraordinary experience.

For all viewers, the exhibition will rearrange your notions of reality. Some of the artwork will make you rethink elements of your daily life, and some of it will make you laugh. This large mix of emotions makes this exhibition a must-see cultural event.

About the Artist

Krištof Kintera is a 39-year old Czech artist who studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague and later finished his studies in Amsterdam at the prestigious Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten academy. His artwork has been shown beyond the borders of his homeland, in cities such as Berlin, Rome or Paris, where he has had great success.

Analysis Results

Closes May 13

Open Monday – Sunday from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Tickets:

Regular adult: 120 CZK

Students: 60 CZK

Official exhibition website: 
http://www.ghmp.cz/cs/web/guest/vystavy/-/vystavy/vystava/30557


YouTube video in which Kintera explains his inspirations:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33iGkXKOba8&feature=related