Jiri David Retrospective

His works are always around. And artists, critics and institutions have got used to them. They view them as a natural part of the Czech cultural narrative; their presence cannot be ignored. However, these people do not basically devote their attention to what the works are about. There are certain clichés at hand to which we soothingly resort(...) What should bother us at this point is when we last really saw Jiří David's work?

Jiří David has always been viewed as a figure emblematic of Czech postmodernism. The topicality of his work, as well as the totally personal engagement and exposure of an artist's individual experience can stand as the opposite of the nature of postmodernism in the Czech context. (...) The various forms of David's engagement that helped break certain taboos surrounding the social status of the artist and his or her presence in the social space started to overlap with his art. Each new project and appearance stamped out his position as spokesman and commentator, while his work, its "internal" logic and more intimate subjects, began to provide a vague background, as incomprehensible as a conversation on the other side of a wall.

Marek Pokorny

Jiri David Retrospective