Jindřich Chalupecký Award 2025

The international jury awarded the Jindřich Chalupecký Award 2025 to two female artists and one male artist: Barbora Lungová, Karolína Rossí and Dominik Adamec. For the first time, female artists outside the original age limit, which was abolished in 2023, were awarded.

The awards will be presented in a joint exhibition at the Veletržní Palace of the National Gallery in Prague, which will open on September 25. This year's foreign guest will be Dutch painter Kinke Kooi.

The international jury, consisting of Fatoş Üstek (curator and theorist based in Great Britain), Hana Janečková (curator and teacher at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague), Valentinas Klimašauskas (independent curator and writer), Marika Kupková (curator and theorist at the TIC Gallery in Brno), Sráč Sam (artist, founder and curator of the Sam 83 Gallery in Česká Bříza) and Maria Lind (director of the Kin Museum of Contemporary Art in Kiruna), selected from portfolios sent by authors presenting their work on the domestic art scene.

The jury members were presented with works demonstrating sensitive processing of ecological awareness, critical reflection on current conflicts and reactions to global and local crises. Many of the entries responded to posthumanism (a school of thought that deals with the gradual convergence of humans and technology, but also with ideas about life on Earth without humans at its center), many of them dealt with the criticism of patriarchy, while others revealed deeply personal narratives reflecting the inner worlds of the entries.

Dominik Adamec, the youngest of this year's awardees, connects evolutionary philosophy with the relationship between humans and nature in his work. In his works, he works primarily with ceramics that question the traditional scientific division of organisms, creating new biological and technical hybrids. According to the jury, his sculptures combine humor, theoretical depth and a refined sense of form. He forms his own fantasy worlds and beings inspired by the Czech surrealist tradition, while at the same time connecting broader cultural references with contemporary artistic language.

Barbora Lungová is a painter and explores how power, patriarchy and gender stereotypes are depicted through it. In her work, she combines knowledge from film studies with visual experiments. Recently, she has also focused on ecological themes and so-called critical gardening. Her main projects include the Rainbow Garden – a space that connects queer culture and biodiversity. According to the jury, her work is committed, courageous and strong, but also reflects defiance and vulnerability. Her connection with community, feminist themes and social relations gives her work relevance, authenticity and depth.

Karolína Rossí’s work includes painting, watercolor collage and spatial installations. She moves on the border between spirituality, feminism and ecology. She is inspired by Sufism and mystical philosophy, while also exploring the relationship between sound, color and emotions. Her works create a meditative space in which personal and shared experiences are transformed into a new visual language. The jury appreciated her unique visual style. Her paintings connect various cultural influences, offering viewers space for their own imaginative journey.