Karlin Studios

• Is it on?00:00:21.974
• 00:00:21.974
• We can go on?00:00:26.974
• 00:00:26.974
• OK, so this is an essential installation of this exhibition, this little cross,00:00:29.285
• 00:00:29.285
• originally it lay over there behind the Darth Vader statue,00:00:35.666
• 00:00:35.666
• and this dog, this dog…00:00:40.195
• 00:00:40.195
• just took it away from me, man!00:00:43.574
• 00:00:43.574
• And that is what Czech art is about…00:00:46.655
• 00:00:46.655
• It all started in 2005 if I’m not mistaken.00:00:49.157
• 00:00:49.157
• Jiří David and other artists had a studio at Wenceslas square,00:00:52.789
• 00:00:52.789
• in this huge building before reconstruction,00:00:58.573
• 00:00:58.573
• and they were all given notice to quit00:01:01.463
• 00:01:01.463
• and Jirka came to me, we met two years prior to that when we opened Futura,00:01:04.512
• 00:01:04.512
• and he asked me if we had any space for a studio since I was a developer,00:01:10.151
• 00:01:10.151
• and I said I didn’t but that I thought it would be better00:01:17.805
• 00:01:17.805
• to form a bigger group of artists and look for a bigger space,00:01:22.812
• 00:01:22.812
• to create something together.00:01:27.488
• 00:01:27.488
• Ten years ago it was still sort of an after-revolution era00:01:56.216
• 00:01:56.216
• so it was a time when there was a significant lack of space for artistic professions in Prague,00:02:03.035
• 00:02:03.035
• because gradually all those spaces in factories and so on in the city center or around it00:02:10.235
• 00:02:10.235
• were used for commercial or economic activities00:02:20.274
• 00:02:20.274
• so the artists were pushed away and there wasn't even anywhere to go.00:02:25.865
• 00:02:25.865
• So back then I think there was nothing like this,00:02:31.282
• 00:02:31.282
• so it was the first project of this type here in Prague,00:02:37.657
• 00:02:37.657
• of course we used some good well known models from other cities and so on,00:02:41.315
• 00:02:41.315
• but we really tried to meet the strong demand for space for creation.00:02:47.265
• 00:02:47.265
• We had a considerably large studio space here,00:02:58.767
• 00:02:58.767
• and the common problem with a shared studio space is that00:03:03.788
• 00:03:03.788
• an individual doesn’t know why he should pay while the others don’t.00:03:09.419
• 00:03:09.419
• I think the attitude towards payment, that is always a problem of these half punk projects,00:03:16.600
• 00:03:16.600
• was an still is a problem here as well.00:03:24.639
• 00:03:24.639
• It is interesting that the artists chosen for the Karlín studios00:03:29.650
• 00:03:29.650
• were generated in advance based on some discussions about who needed a studio00:03:38.378
• 00:03:38.378
• and there was also this idea that the people00:03:50.777
• 00:03:50.777
• should give a good mark to the address.00:03:57.572
• 00:03:57.572
• Even the developers, owners of the object, they liked the idea,00:04:01.021
• 00:04:01.021
• they even started several projects way before that,00:04:04.448
• 00:04:04.448
• to use office spaces and so on for artists and galleries.00:04:10.083
• 00:04:10.083
• So Jirka asked about the object and then I put together the project,00:04:16.883
• 00:04:16.883
• we thought it would be good to have both studios and a space for a gallery,00:04:24.081
• 00:04:24.081
• both for younger artists and the already established ones like Jirka and his colleagues.00:04:29.383
• 00:04:29.383
• So we made an interesting mix, that we created a certain model00:04:38.000
• 00:04:38.000
• where a bigger part of the rent could be paid in art,00:04:44.973
• 00:04:44.973
• which was interesting because for the artists it was easier than to pay in cash,00:04:51.674
• 00:04:51.674
• and the owners gradually had an interesting collection of art works.00:04:57.957
• 00:04:57.957
• The smaller part then is paid in cash to cover the necessities00:05:04.426
• 00:05:04.426
• like gas, water, all this banal stuff.00:05:12.363
• 00:05:12.363
• The opening exhibition was supposed to be in two galleries,00:05:40.235
• 00:05:40.235
• there were two galleries planned,00:05:47.417
• 00:05:47.417
• the first one was Václav Stratil,00:05:49.888
• 00:05:49.888
• the exhibition did take place but Václav Stratil was doing drugs then00:05:52.277
• 00:05:52.277
• so the exhibition of paintings turned into an exhibition of photographs00:06:00.429
• 00:06:00.429
• which turned into an exhibition of one negative00:06:03.552
• 00:06:03.552
• he tried to hit with a throwing knife00:06:09.570
• 00:06:09.570
• so it was a messy start.00:06:15.012
• 00:06:15.012
• We always wanted other gallerists here to make it more lively,00:06:54.127
• 00:06:54.127
• so in the back we had the Entrance gallery00:06:59.976
• 00:06:59.976
• that worked here for eight years before they moved to Břevnov,00:07:04.526
• 00:07:04.526
• and then there were other people there, now there is k.art.on and others,00:07:13.938
• 00:07:13.938
• it works quite well.00:07:19.810
• 00:07:19.810
• There also used to be the Center for contemporary arts,00:07:21.960
• 00:07:21.960
• also for about eight years before they found a new space in Holešovice,00:07:29.762
• 00:07:29.762
• and of course there are the studios.00:07:34.899
• 00:07:34.899
• We have seventeen studios but I think most of the time00:07:37.603
• 00:07:37.603
• there were twenty or twenty five artists here,00:07:40.637
• 00:07:40.637
• as especially the younger ones shared one studio between two or three of them.00:07:43.039
• 00:07:43.039
• There was a mix of younger and older ones,00:07:50.357
• 00:07:50.357
• mostly Czech but also foreigners established here in Prague,00:07:54.179
• 00:07:54.179
• and then it was important for us to keep one of the nicest studios free for residencies,00:08:03.906
• 00:08:03.906
• a space for artists from various countries we collaborate with00:08:13.693
• 00:08:13.693
• so they could come for two or three months to work in Prague.00:08:18.717
• 00:08:18.717
• So the studio for residents gradually turned into another exhibiting space,00:08:23.558
• 00:08:23.558
• because during every opening we also tried to present work of the current resident.00:08:29.331
• 00:08:29.331
• It will be all conducted by them, following their plan,00:08:56.394
• 00:08:56.394
• they can decide on material or the way they will work with the people,00:09:00.200
• 00:09:00.200
• and I was interested in preparing this space for the confrontation of the artists with the public00:09:06.958
• 00:09:06.958
• that visits exhibitions where they see the works,00:09:16.583
• 00:09:16.583
• but here they have the opportunity to interact or work with the artist.00:09:20.301
• 00:09:20.301
• ...we would like to ask you to take a look around here00:09:44.065
• 00:09:44.065
• and try to document something that is changing,00:09:46.065
• 00:09:46.065
• something that takes your interest here in Karlín.00:09:48.948
• 00:09:48.948
• There is a space for an address on the other side00:09:50.948
• 00:09:50.948
• so you can fill it in and then we can send it to whomever you want to.00:09:54.171
• 00:09:54.171
• It will be a little bit focused on psychology,00:09:58.675
• 00:09:58.675
• and it is diletant because I don’t really go too deep,00:10:04.788
• 00:10:04.788
• I rather rely on instinct, and it will also be about your own instinct.00:10:13.034
• 00:10:13.034
• Please take the refreshment, I am Vladimír Skrepl and let’s start.00:10:21.683
• 00:10:21.683
• First of all I don’t like the desks like this at school,00:10:29.606
• 00:10:29.606
• I don’t know if you do… -Not really…00:10:33.686
• 00:10:33.686
• OK, make it more comfortable then.00:10:36.211
• 00:10:36.211
• I will ask you have you ever tried to forged your parents’ signature…00:11:27.384
• 00:11:27.384
• It was a long time ago, but you did…00:11:36.427
• 00:11:36.427
• Never…00:11:41.417
• 00:11:41.417
• How about you Martin.00:11:43.785
• 00:11:43.785
• I only learned it..00:11:45.785
• 00:11:45.785
• And you never used it.00:11:47.785
• 00:11:47.785
• Good afternoon, we would like to welcome you at yet another art class,00:11:56.117
• 00:11:56.117
• today we will do a tour to Ládví- Sídliště Ďáblice.00:12:00.466
• 00:12:00.466
• It is located 10- 15 minutes away from Karlín studios, so we should be there at around 4 PM.00:12:05.956
• 00:12:05.956
• As you may have noticed, you can see something is happening with the time, it is reversed,00:12:15.858
• 00:12:15.858
• so I would like to ask you to overcome the obstacles backwards.00:12:22.863
• 00:12:22.863
• In 2007 Karlín studios was guaranteed for five years,00:13:26.901
• 00:13:26.901
• the artists here were guaranteed to have the studios for five years00:13:31.236
• 00:13:31.236
• and that in those five years each one of them should be entitled to two exhibitions,00:13:39.469
• 00:13:39.469
• I don’t think all of the artists used this opportunity,00:13:47.616
• 00:13:47.616
• and also the model of exhibiting in the main space changed over the time.00:13:54.524
• 00:13:54.524
• I think in the first year and a half it was my responsibility00:14:00.910
• 00:14:00.910
• to deal with the people who would exhibit here,00:14:05.672
• 00:14:05.672
• two thirds of those artists were supposed to be the residents here00:14:13.894
• 00:14:13.894
• and the remaining third confronting new projects from the outside.00:14:19.541
• 00:14:19.541
• So I took the job because I was proud something new was starting00:14:26.743
• 00:14:26.743
• and then I recommended Viktor Čech, a very educated and skilled man in my opinion,00:14:35.795
• 00:14:35.795
• so Viktor Čech took care of it for the following two years00:14:47.423
• 00:14:47.423
• under probably not very great financial conditions,00:14:55.682
• 00:14:55.682
• then I think Karlín studios merged so much in terms of fundings with the programme of Futura00:14:58.824
• 00:14:58.824
• that the management became responsibility of people from Futura,00:15:10.966
• 00:15:10.966
• it was Pavla Gajdošíková, after she had left for maternity leave it was Klára Adamcová00:15:19.473
• 00:15:19.473
• and now it is Caroline Crzyszton.00:15:27.860
• 00:15:27.860
• It is important to realize that back then in Prague there weren't many opportunities for such exhibitions,00:16:02.555
• 00:16:02.555
• there was Futura which has always been sort of elitist,00:16:09.803
• 00:16:09.803
• there was no Meet Factory yet,00:16:14.927
• 00:16:14.927
• and all the remaining galleries were like Jelení, very small and intimate,00:16:19.457
• 00:16:19.457
• there was of course NoD, but it wasn’t a proper gallery then,00:16:25.410
• 00:16:25.410
• it was just a space as we remember it before it was renovated,00:16:30.126
• 00:16:30.126
• so it wasn’t ideal.00:16:37.250
• 00:16:37.250
• What I liked was that it wasn’t a snobbish white cube,00:16:38.922
• 00:16:38.922
• a fully professionalized space,00:16:44.299
• 00:16:44.299
• there was a punk level to it, not in the sense of a dirty alternative00:16:49.592
• 00:16:49.592
• but in that it was about art in the first place00:16:55.084
• 00:16:55.084
• and in the beginning there was a good community bond,00:16:59.147
• 00:16:59.147
• there was a decent selection of artists,00:17:05.222
• 00:17:05.222
• lately it has been a little scattered, there are people from various circles, it is not so tight,00:17:08.972
• 00:17:08.972
• the initial idea of community didn’t really work so well00:17:17.681
• 00:17:17.681
• but if one had a contact with the space, it meant a contact with an interesting spectrum of artists.00:17:22.618
• 00:17:22.618
• In Karlín studios, in its new space, I will exhibit a documentation of famous performance artists,00:17:28.781
• 00:17:28.781
• a documentation that was never approved by the authors00:17:37.443
• 00:17:37.443
• and can be found freely on the web.00:17:41.069
• 00:17:41.069
• More than a year ago we found out it really had to end,00:17:44.222
• 00:17:44.222
• that really something is going to be built here,00:17:50.418
• 00:17:50.418
• so we thought since we were here for ten years it wouldn’t be bad to make a big exhibition00:17:52.928
• 00:17:52.928
• to say good bye and to celebrate the ten years of existence of the gallery.00:18:02.338
• 00:18:02.338
• Funny things was that when the exhibition was already here the owner told us it will not be torn down yet, maybe in a year,00:18:09.051
• 00:18:09.051
• so the exhibition's symbolic idea to say good bye lost its sense in a way,00:18:22.898
• 00:18:22.898
• but I guess we will not make another exhibition like that in the future.00:18:30.058
• 00:18:30.058
• And it was like this every year, every two years it was supposed to end,00:18:38.013
• 00:18:38.013
• and it just keeps getting longer,00:18:42.798
• 00:18:42.798
• so maybe even this uncertainty was not a bad way00:18:45.788
• 00:18:45.788
• to deal with the unpredictable world.00:18:55.102

Zde se můžete vyjádřit. (*nutné)