What is the matter thoughts are made from? — Jindrich Chalupecky Award Exhibition, National Gallery in Prague, 2018, indigo dye on fabric, metal, clay, audio


Drawing on animist practices in relation to forming of a cultural identity. The genderless figures are painted on textile and dyed in traditional indigo – a technique used for Czech folk clothing which came to Bohemia from Japan via France in the 19th century.
 Inside the yurt visitors are invited to mold clay figures and become part of a collective healing process. The piece is reffering to Silvia Federici’s “Caliban and the Witch” associating autopsy
 with the exploitation of the Earth and women by capitalist structures.

A yurt with a sound installation ­of Czech sexist folk songs melodies and author’s empowering lyrics represents the start of a healing procession where the participants are sending the clay figures down the river while accompanied by choir singing traditional folk songs with sexist motifs.

Jindřich Chalupecký Award 2018

The work was commissioned by Jindřich Chalupecký Society, photo credit: Peter Fabo, Michaela Karásková