Werben im Podcast: Contemporary Czech Art in Berlin

In the latest episode of the Contemporary Czech Art in Berlin podcast, Simona Binko sits down with Czech photographer Libuše Jarcovjáková, curator Lucie Černá, and film director Klára Tasovská to discuss the powerful photographic series T-Club, which captures the underground LGBTQ+ scene in 1980s Prague. The conversation explores the exhibition’s significance, the success of the award-winning documentary film, Jarcovjáková’s personal experiences behind the photos, and the lasting impact of these images today. Libuše shares the process behind her intimate portrayal of life in the T-Club, describing it as a rare moment of freedom amidst a repressive political landscape. She recounts how, after months of immersion in the space, she began photographing the vibrant yet hidden world that existed there. Her work offers a vivid and emotional snapshot of a marginalized community during a time of great societal pressure. Lucie discusses her curatorial approach to the T-Club exhibition in Berlin, emphasizing the importance of creating a space that captures the club’s atmosphere and the sense of liberation it provided. She highlights the success of the project, including the publication of a book and its continued international recognition. This success is also due to the documentary film Noch bin ich nicht, wer ich sein möchte, directed by Klára Tasovská, which brings Libuše’s photography to life, combining visual storytelling with Jarcovjáková’s diary entries and photographs. The film has been well received, not only in German cinemas but also internationally. It earned several film award nominations and won the Czech Lion Award for Best documentary feature and Best film editing. For those interested in Czech photography, queer history, or the interplay between personal and political storytelling, this episode offers a rich and compelling listen. T-Club – Just Like in Paradise is on view at KVOST until 19. 4. 2025, while Jarcovjáková’s retrospective at the National Gallery Prague runs through March. The film Noch bin ich nicht, wer ich sein möchte is currently screening in German cinemas. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the extraordinary work of a photographer who has fearlessly documented the unseen.

This episode highlights the artistic journey and innovative projects spearheaded by Czech artist Lucie Nováčková during her residency with Culterim in Biesenthal, Germany, initiated by the Czech Centre Berlin. Her project, Reunion, explored themes of connection, transformation, and self-discovery through a 430-kilometer pilgrimage from Prague to Berlin. Along the way, Lucie documented her experiences using journal entries and a textile map, merging traditional craft with conceptual artistry. She emphasized the parallels between physical movement and the act of sewing, using a red thread to metaphorically “embroider” the landscape. Her journey also delved into feminist perspectives, midlife reflection, and the intimate relationship between humans and their environment, drawing inspiration from Czech literary traditions and her personal history. Lucie's collaboration with her cousin, Berlin-based artist Klara Hobza, marked the culmination of Reunion. Their connection revealed striking similarities in their artistic approaches, such as exploring landscapes through physical experience—Lucie by walking, Klára through scuba diving European rivers to uncover hidden histories. Biesenthal, with its vibrant artistic community and tranquil natural surroundings, provided a supportive space for this project. Culterim residency program, which prioritizes collaboration and personal growth within a familial atmosphere, enriched Lucia’s experience. The initiative exemplifies the potential of creative residencies to foster deep artistic inquiry, intercultural exchange, and enduring bonds among artists. This was first year that the Czech Centres offered a two-month residency to an artist from Czechia in collaboration with Culterim and IDU, initiated by the Czech Centre Berlin as part of the long-term project Contemporary Czech Art in Berlin (CCAiB), which aims to promote mapping, information and connections in the field of contemporary visual art between the Czech Republic and Berlin/Germany.

Czech Centres partnered up with ZK/U to host an exciting artist-in-residence programme as part of the European CYCLE UP! Project, which connects artists, decision-makers, and community members who are passionate about climate change and sustainable urban mobility. This podcast episode features Anita Rind from ZK/U, an independent art residency and project space in Berlin, and resident artist Yeon Sung. Anita shares insights into ZK/U’s approach to supporting artists, researchers, and activists through urbanistic exploration and global-local connections. She also discusses ZK/U's vision and the impact of recent renovations, which have enhanced facilities and accessibility for community events and workshops. Yeon Sung introduces her project Cycling the Unknown, where she explores urban landscapes and pollution by using her bike as a "sensor." Her work engages with “weathering” and encourages the community to experience pollution firsthand. She reflects on her journey from the Netherlands to Berlin and shares how her art has been received across these unique cultural landscapes.

The podcast features Lena Fließbach and Natálie Černá from the Cycle Up! project. They share insights into promoting sustainability in cultural institutions. Cycle Up! connects artists, decision-makers, and communities who care about our climate to find creative ideas and solutions to bring more bicycles to our streets. Our guests discuss eco-conscious approaches in art residencies, such as emission reduction and local production, with examples like pollution-focused art in Berlin. The initiative collaborates with nonprofits and institutions to foster sustainable practices in the arts. More details are available on the Cycle Up website https://www.goethe.de/prj/cyc/en/index.html.

In this episode, artist Veronika Holcová and gallerist Susanna Albrecht discuss the Ostara exhibition at the Albrecht Gallery in Berlin, featuring works by Holcová and Anna Zemánková. Holcová introduces her imaginative paintings, while Albrecht shares her insights into how the works of these two Czech artists complement each other. Zemánková, regarded as one of the foremost representatives of Art Brut, brings her distinctive, intuitive drawings into dialogue with Holcová’s intricate and expressive pieces. This conversation offers a unique glimpse into their creative processes and artistic approaches.

This episode of the CCAiB podcast features Petr Hošek. He studied art history in Prague and Madrid before earning his MA at Charles’ University. Following a curatorial residency in New York City, he co-founded Gallery Plevel in Prague, showcasing online art in a renovated 19th-century industrial space. He later established Hošek Contemporary after relocating to Berlin in 2014.

This episode of the CCAiB podcast features several people who worked on the current project presented at the Bauhaus Re-use in Berlin, "Exploring Sound Fields - Imaginary Workspace". We discuss the interdisciplinary Czech-German working process behind the scenes of the collaboration between students from the Academy of Art, Design and Architecture (UMPRUM) in Prague and the UdK Berlin.

Gabriela Těthalová (born 1988) is a Czech artist known for her bold, geometric paintings. Her works are notable for their meticulous attention to geometric shapes and a vibrant color palette, combined with quick, gestural strokes. She often employs interlocking and overlapping surfaces, which disrupt one’s spatial orientation. Before she decided to become an artist, she completed a master's degree in mathematics where she often finds inspiration, as well as in other artistic forms such as music, poetry, or art history. Těthalová studied at the HFBK Hamburg University of Fine Arts and previously at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design under Jiří Černický and Marek Meduna, the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, and the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. In 2013, she completed her master's degree in mathematics at Charles University in Prague. In 2020, she was represented at Academy POSITIONS 2020 in Berlin, and in 2023, she was awarded the Jindřich Chalupecký Award for young Czech artists. Her art has been exhibited internationally, with shows in Prague, Hamburg, and New York.

This episode of the CCAiB podcast features Ferry Ferenc, a multimedia artist working with visual shortcuts, humor, and text in his work. Drawing inspiration from comic strips, Ferenc uses humor as a foundational element in his art, aiming to entertain while offering various layers of interpretation. Beyond his visual art practice, Ferenc is actively involved in stand-up comedy. This engagement allows him to observe audience reactions firsthand, refining his artistic approach and enriching his exploration of humor. In this episode, we discuss his current exhibition, "Snake Skins", which is on display at BHROX Bauhaus Reuse from May 13 to May 19. Contemporary Czech Art in Berlin (CCAiB) aims to systematically map, render visible, interconnect, and expand the existing networks of artists and curators with Czech-German backgrounds. This project is built upon three key pillars: an online podcast, studio visits, and networking events. The podcast's essence lies in crafting a timeless online database that not only spotlights individual positions but also portrays a nuanced web of relationships by charting the Czech art scene within the context of its ties to the German art scene. Through this approach, we offer an overview of the breadth of connections and also archive individual positions, potentially enhancing the prospects for future collaborations.

This episode of the CCAiB podcast features Anna Kubelík, a multimedia artist. Trained as an architect, Anna Kubelík has shifted her practice into art that works with space using any medium needed to create contextualized projects. Most of her projects are generated in transdisciplinary processes with other artists or scientists. After creating numerous performative objects and installations in the last decades she is currently creating new bodies of works related to her family history connected to the czech-suisse conductor Rafael Kubelík, musical and scientific instruments, and reinvented architectures. Anna Kubelík is a professor of “artistic experimental design” at the architecture faculty in Constance, Germany, and holds the position of principal investigator at the Cluster of Excellence “Matters of Activity”, which enables her to act as a curator between artistic practices and science. Contemporary Czech Art in Berlin (CCAiB) aims to systematically map, render visible, interconnect, and expand the existing networks of artists and curators with Czech-German backgrounds. This project is built upon three key pillars: an online podcast, studio visits, and networking events. The podcast's essence lies in crafting a timeless online database that not only spotlights individual positions but also portrays a nuanced web of relationships by charting the Czech art scene within the context of its ties to the German art scene. Through this approach, we offer an overview of the breadth of connections and also archive individual positions, potentially enhancing the prospects for future collaborations.

This episode of CCAiB delves into the world of contemporary art and cultural initiatives with a Czech-German background, focusing on the current exhibition Hours Against the Clock in KVOST (Kunstverein Ost e. V.). Our today’s guests are Světlana Malinová and Marija Petrović. Světlana Malinová (*1997, Czech Republic) is a Prague-based curator and cultural producer. Since 2022, she has served as the artistic director of the Fotograf Festival and co-manages the City Surfer Office, a multifunctional art space in Prague's Žižkov district. She is the curator of the current exhibition Hours Against the Clock in KVOST. Marija Petrovic (*1992, Dnipro, Ukraine) is an artist, researcher, and curator based in Berlin. She's currently pursuing her Ph.D. project "Vulnerability" at HFBK, supported by the Ernst-Ludwig Ehrlich Foundation. Marija's work explores human interaction and memory complexities. She's a member of the curatorial team at KVOST, promoting contemporary art from Central- and Eastern Europe. The exhibition Hours Against the Clock offers a glimpse into the minds of two generations of Czech and Slovak artists and reflects a shared Czechoslovak historical experience that spills over into the present. Collective traumas and family memories are written into the visual images. It features the artworks of Jan Durina, Alena Kotzmannová, and Milan Mazúr.

For this edition, we visited the Kestnergesellschaft in Hanover to meet Klára Hosnedlová. In collaboration with the Kestner Gesellschaft, she prepared her first institutional solo exhibition 'To Infinity'. Let’s introduce you to her work. Klára Hosnedlová was born in the Czech Republic and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague and at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Brno. She lives and works in Berlin. Her work combines craft, fashion, design, architecture, sculpture and performance. She uses these tools to create immersive environments that explore the uncertainties of the post-industrial world. Her work has been shown in numerous group and solo exhibitions, including X Museum, Beijing (2022), at the Art Basel Parcours, Basel (2021) or at the Baltic Triennial 14: The Endless Frontier, Vilnius (2021). The exhibition To Infinity at the Kestner Gesellschaft is her first institutional solo show and has become the Kestner Gesellschaft's most ambitious project for the season. We spoke to the artist herself, the in-house curator Alexander Wilmschen and the director of the Kestner Gesellschaft Adam Budak about the show.

In this episode of our Contemporary Czech Art in Berlin series, we present the artist Daniel Vlček, whose works were part of the exhibition Deep Rivers Run Quiet at the Czech Center Berlin in autumn 2022. Daniel Vlček (*1978), painter and musician, focuses in his work mainly on the connection between sound and his own visual expression, mainly with the help of science, living organisms or modern technologies. He visualizes the recording of sound, vibrations and their propagation in space in subjective patterns, with the resulting shapes often resembling technical drawings of sound waves.

In this issue of Contemporary Czech Art we will introduce you to the multimedia artist Petra Janda. Her artworks are part of our current exhibition Deep rivers run quiet. She studied sculpture and intermedia at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague. She moves across the spectrum of creation, education and awareness, but all activities are related to the relationship of man to environmental issues, sustainable development of the surrounding world and improvement of the environment both external and internal - psychological. Her work responds to contemporary life in its openness, uncertainty, fragility and mystery, and presents a narrative of life, including community projects, activism, but also ancient myths and inner spirituality. Petra founded the web platform Artbiom.cz and the AVU ecobox. At the moment you can see some of her works at the exhibition Deep rivers run quiet which is held in the gallery of Czech centre in Berlin and you can visit it until the 17th of December.

In the 30th issue of Contemporary Czech Art in Berlin we introduce you the artist Krištof Kintera on the occasion of his current exhibition Gedankenexperiment at the gallery Heldenreizer Contemporary in Munich. The exhibition was curated by Stella Toonen, a researcher based at Tate and King’s College London, who also joins the interview. Krištof Kintera, born in 1973, studied art at the Academies of Fine Arts in Prague and Amsterdam. His installations and sculptures can often move, glow or speak and possess a large portion of humour. But the artist also uses them to address the state of man, technology and nature.