Press releases
Štěpánka Šimlová: Go and Don’t Shoot
The exhibition was prepared by the National Gallery in Prague, Collection of Modern and Contemporary Art
February 20 - April 28, 2013, Veletržní Palace
Venue: Respirium, Veletržní Palace, fifth floor
Curator: Helena Musilová (NG)
Coordinator: Jana Šmídmajerová (NG)
Graphic layout: Michal Šiml
Accompanying program: Education Department of the Collection of Modern and Contemporary Art
Exhibition cooperation: Barbora Stejskalová
Go and Don't Shoot is the name of a new exhibition held from February 20 till April 28, 2013 in the Veletržní Palace of the National Gallery in Prague. On the fifth floor of the Respirium, artist Štěpánka Šimlová and curator Helena Musilová present an exhibition documenting Šimlová's personal experience and reflections on her time in the Karen (Kayin) State of Burma (Myanmar).
In addition to making videos for the Veletržní Palace installation, the artist assembled material for the documentary The Art of Surviving the Longest War in the World produced in cooperation with a Czech team (Barbora Stejskalová and others). The changing political situation in Burma and the attention focused on its political and civic circumstances lend the project urgency and timeliness.
"The installation's primary purpose is to raise awareness of the ever-present latent danger of war, but the artist expands this theme to a much more general level - simply, the fight between good and evil, with no chance of accurately identifying the reasons behind evil, the "right" side," says Helena Musilová, Director of the Collection of Modern and Contemporary Art and curator of the exhibition. "One can move within a seemingly ideal and friendly environment that nevertheless hides mortal danger in a war zone but also, figuratively, anywhere. Basic feelings such as fear, uncertainty or expectation can be evoked even in our civilized world, far from martial conflict."
The art project will be accompanied by a number of complementary activities including a screening of the documentary film, workshops based on the installation and activities linked with the humanitarian organization People in Need (Člověk v tísni).
The installation is a continuation of a National Gallery in Prague project that canvasses the work of young and middle generation artists.
Myanmar, previously known as Burma, is a union of seven states and seven regions comprising many peoples and cultures. In total, some 90 languages are spoken in Myanmar; the official language is Burmese. The ethnic Burmese people form some 65-70% of the population and live in the central lowlands. Ethnic minorities represent approximately one third of the population and inhabit more than half of the territory of Burma/Myanmar. The country's neighbours are Bangladesh, India, China, Laos (with the Mekong River forming part of the border) and Thailand.
Štěpánka Šimlová (1966), one of the Czech Republic's most distinctive visual artists, entered the art scene around the time of the Velvet Revolution (1989). Her work reflects the processes and transformations that art has undergone in past years. Not content with expressing herself in a single medium, she engages in painting, drawing, photography and video, installations and site-specific art projects. She was one of the first artists in the Czech Republic to experiment with the digital image and its manipulation. Many of her artworks respond to a political or social situation, e.g. the project Chinese Ads, Little Prayers, China Town, Tokyo in 2000, which inserted children's prayers into message boards used for neon advertisements and commercials in the busy city.
Štěpánka Šimlová has had several exhibitions at the National Gallery in Prague. She is represented in its collections as well as at the permanent exhibition of contemporary Czech art of the National Gallery in Prague in the Veletržní Palace.
Main media partners
Česká televize, Český rozhlas, iDNES.cz, Lidové noviny, Respekt, Rail Reklam
Media partners
JCDecaux, Hlavní město Praha, Dopravní podnik hl. m. Prahy, Esquire, Harper´s Bazaar, Dolce Vita, Art & Antiques, ceskapozice.cz, Prager Zeitung, Boomerang publishing, artmap.cz, protisedi.cz, Neternity Group, Prague Events Calendar, Anopress IT
Technological partner
Samsung
Veletržní Palace
Dukelských hrdinů 47
170 00 Prague 7
ADMISSION FEE
Basic fee 180 CZK
Reduced fee 90 CZK
Family fee 240 CZK
School group 20 CZK per person
Press release of February 30, 2013
CONTACT FOR JOURNALISTS
Eva Kolerusová, spokesperson, National Gallery in Prague,
tel.: 00420 222 321 459, cell: 00420 724 501 535
e-mail: kolerusova@ngprague.cz
