8. 1. 2018 – 11. 2. 2018

Museum of Modern Art / Café 87

Martin Mrkva graduate School of Applied Arts in Bechyně (2006-2010) and the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague (School of graphics 2 / Studio Vladimir Kokolia; 2011-2017), the eminent cartoonist for which an image is merely another, equally a spreading variant of life – the law it is therefore possible to mark it “baroque”, both in technology and in the world.

The exhibition presents a selection of his graduate work (2017) cycle depicting “war” between the rolls and buns – caustically, tenderly and humorously metaphorical reflection of the human being, its fullness and absence. The designation “Baroque” is quite adequate in this case – it would not be necessary to add anything else, except to specify: if baroque, then also a baroque shadow. Shadow is the foundation works with charcoal, and also represents a qualitative nature of things – everything really important support, a full, human warmth, vibration, life happens to bright light, but in a shimmering half-light, away from the sun, the rays of fire and light lamps. Only in the shadow grows the importance of things and moments, gestures; the meaning of the body, which begins to transcend itself, is materialized in another way, by other means – apart from one another. In addition, shadow means blur, sensitivity, softness – the softness of the ingot or the body, but also the softness of the angle. Therefore, if a metaphor for the cycle of human life, is undoubtedly a reflection of the draw itself – which is like a shadow with what belongs to what precedes, what exceeds persistently linked. Both are palpably present and necessarily transient. It is baroque in its essence.

Barbora Kundračíková