VELVET 17

UPCOMING EXHIBIT

Velvet 17:

10-24th November 2010

Superstudio Bubenska, Bubenska 1, Praha 7

Vernissage: 19:00 on 10 November 2010 featuring new projects by members of The Plastic People of the Universe
Curated by: Minna Pyyhkala

This exhibition is under the patronage of Sasha Vondra, Czech Minister of Defense.

VELVET 17 is an exhibit inspired by the pivotal day of 17/11/1989, the freedom that day brought, and the responsibility that comes with freedom. What effect does the fall of communism have upon Czechs in the present? Freedom is costly. The mundane rhythm of life punctuated with holidays often lulls people into forgetting the very reason they can travel with such freedom. Velvet 17 explores the shedding of communism for a new way of life, how Czech society has adapted to that change, the prevailing existence of xenophobia, and the evolution of the social mindset in the past 21 years.
All photographs were shot using film.

MINNA PYYHKALA moved to the Czech Republic shortly after the fall of communism. Pyyhkala’s focus is on the blind community in Prague: how they were treated under communism, how they are treated now and whether they demand fundamental civil and human rights from their government. Pyyhkala poses the question of accessibility to her subjects: How accessible are emerging technologies (such as websites, bankomats, metro fare vending machines, software, and mobile phones) in the years since the fall of communism?

SANEESH SUKURMARAN from India has recreated moments from the past using costumes and locations from the communist era. Sukumaran is interpreting how communism directly affected individuals and narrating tales from people’s lives.

HONZA HORAK of the Czech Republic has interviewed and photographed teenagers in Prague to capture their perspectives on what happened in the past and whether it has any relevance to their present. The collection of work gauges how successful we as the public are with providing accurate information to the young.

TALITHA BRAUER, born in the US and raised in Ireland, is exploring how life has changed or remained the same since the fall of communism through interviewing Czechs of various ages and backgrounds.

LINDY VAN KATS, from the Netherlands, has portrayed Czech teachers to show the changed role of education since communism. Teachers today are faced with the challenge to provide kids with an authentic education so they can contribute responsibly to the world.

MELANIE BLANDING of the USA has created a series of images inspired by the song “City of Hysteria” by the the band Pulnoc (formerly The Plastic People of the Universe). Her photographs are evocative of the city that Prague once was and capture something of the spirit of the city Prague has become.

SARKA THEROVA from the Czech Republic tackles the non-political aspect of growing up under communism. The propaganda machine of Husak’s regime focused on the quality of life: free time, family, community, sports and recreation. Therova’s series looks back at the idyllic lifestyle and positivity of growing up in the 70′s and 80′s and examines how the spirit of camaraderie that was once enjoyed has all but disappeared.

LUKAS CETERA Lukas Cetera from Slovakia has assembled a series of unrelated images in an effort to visualize the anonymity and absence of a subject in preserved scenes. His inspiration came in the form of a recurring déjà vu of a smoke print of a girl burned onto a chimney–an image reminiscent of communist propaganda.

SPONSORS: Orco Property Group
Signpek,

PARTNER Amnesty International