The Off-center exhibition is the result of the 29th symposium, the topic of which is ceramics as a material for contemporary art. The idea of supporting and promoting fine art in ceramics has been central to this international meeting in Bechyně since it was established in the 1960s. This year’s symposium continues this tradition and also presents current creative approaches, derived from the internal logics of the material, reflecting its cultural historical contexts and not shying away from criticism of its own medium, through the work of six artists. This exhibition therefore not only transcends the established boundaries of this field, but is also an example of the opportunities that ceramics offer within contemporary art. In this day and age, we commonly encounter ceramics in galleries around the world. The fact that ceramic clay currently fills the areas of the Aleš South Bohemian Gallery in various forms and shapes is no surprise as the symposium focuses on this specific material. However, ceramics are only one of the means of expression the exhibiting artists work with, which is also reflected in their most recent works, which originated during their four-week stay in Bechyně. The absence of a common assignment has led to a variety of creations (in the form of statues, objects, installations or interventions), derived from the various approaches of the individual artists: procedural, conceptual, rational or spontaneous. This exhibition can be considered a sort of intermediate space in which the natural language of the material appears on one side and the current visual tendencies on the other.
