The National Gallery in Prague has prepared an exhibition of a single monumental painting by Jan Pištěk (b. 1961). The canvas, Under the Surface, was done in 2012– 2013 and its dimensions are 390 x 1,380 cm. Due to its size, it is almost impossible to display in ordinary galleries, except for special premises such as the Small Hall of the Veletržní Palace. The canvas was done by overpainting the linen that protects the workshop floors in the painting workshops of the National Theatre in Prague. "Due to its dimensions, the painting was basically invisible from the ground," explains Pištěk. "The canvas was spread on the floor and I walked on it while painting, only able to perceive my immediate area. I only checked the result when I stopped working for a while to climb a four-metre-high observation platform."
Curators:
Tomáš Pospiszyl (ext.)
Helena Musilová (National Gallery in Prague)
