EXHIBITION IS (no)T... 25.06-31.07.2010

JIRI DAVID, JIRI KOVANDA & students of Academy of Arts

Curator: Adam K. Dominik

Academy of Fine Arts, Warsaw

The exhibition's title is a specific key, which includes its concept. The word „exhibition” is only an apparent reference to the presentation of works by artists in the traditional sense of the word. Apparent because the words „is (no)t” are the denial and are at
the same time a clue for the recipient who is not dealing with a classic exhibition,
but rather with an artistic experiment. The epresentation can be compared to
a journey into the world of two great artists: Jiri David and Jiri Kovanda.
Where did the idea for this artistic duet come from? It is a rhetorical question but only for the Czechs. Jiri David and Jiri Kovanda have been friends for nearly 30 years.
In addition to the correlation in their private sphere, their shared artistic activities are also very important. They have carried out many actions together, they both owe each other a lot on the artistic ground. Together they have also gone on their first big trip, which took place immediately after the fall of communism. It was an almost mythical trip to New York, which documents is displayed at the exhibition.
The artists, apart from participating in EXHIBITION IS (no)T..., wera also invited
to lead the workshops with the students of Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw in May
this year. Nobody caould predict what will be the result. Therefore, the exhibition on which the works of selected students is presented as well, is an experiment which results can not be predicted.
Next to „the unpredictable elements” there appear the works of Jiri David such
as the photographs from famous series Hidden Image, the newly created installation
1 minute, 40 second and the work which is challenging a classic image of a picture Immune aganist to immortality. Whereas Jiri Kovanda, in addition to the presentation
of his conceptual and simultaneously poetically minimalist collages, took up
the challenge and created a new work, especially for this exhibition.