Press Release
Dominik Lang: East West
Jindřich Chalupecký Award 2013 went to 33-year-old Dominik Lang who has been in the final of the most
prestigious Czech art award for the third time. According to the jury, he has ranked among the most
remarkable artists both in the Czech Republic and at the international scene for a number of years. For
instance, he succeeded in the selection procedure for the Venice Biennale two years ago, stirring a great
response with his installation. In the past year, he has presented his artworks in galleries in Vienna and
Rome. Thus the jury unequivocally awarded Lang on the basis of the balanced quality of his previous
works as well as his current presentation.
Graduate of the Studio of Jiří Příhoda at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, Dominik Lang is one of two
heads of the Studio of Sculpture at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague since 2012.
His works are typical for their approach to the given gallery space which he endows with the form of
an artwork. In his Vienna exhibition, he has built an installation reminding of a cave into a cellar, while in
České Budějovice, he has placed a central sculpture within the gallery space, employing the motive of
walking through it. This is also the case at this year’s exhibition of the finalists of Jindřich Chalupecký
Award, the 2013 Final, held in Veletržní Palace in Prague. Here, too, Lang has “played” both with the
gallery space and with the perception of the visitors. In his installation East West situated on the fifth floor
of Veletržní Palace, he has not used any new material but rather removed it from the existing exhibition
paneling in which he has cut out two circular holes. Through these holes, the rising and setting sun enters
the gallery. Observant visitors will also notice a large ball moving freely across the gallery’s ground floor,
which can also be reminiscent of the sun. “We were captured primarily by the maturity and thoughtfulness
of Lang’s intervention in the architecture of Veletržní Palace. In this artwork, as well as in all of his works,
the sculptor’s language and the surrounding architectonic space lead a constant dialogue while retaining
the necessary suspense,” said Christian Rattemeyer on behalf of the jury.
The jury of Jindřich Chalupecký Award was comprised of curator of New York’s MoMA Christian
Rattemeyer as head of the jury, chief curator of Vienna’s MUMOK Rainer Fuchs, art historian Milena
Bartlová, artist Daniel Balabán, curator Edith Jeřábková, curator and editor in chief of the critical
magazine on contemporary art Springerin Georg Schöllhammer from Austria and artist Tomáš Lahoda
who also works in Denmark. The jury members are altered every three years; for instance, head of jury
Rattemeyer has sat on the jury for the last time this year.
The winner of Jindřich Chalupecký Award will receive 100.000 CZK for the realization of a project in the
National Gallery in Prague, a six-week scholarship in New York and a residency in one of the Czech
Centers of his own choice. Within the framework of Jindřich Chalupecký Award, the Respekt Readers
Award was announced as well, going to finalist Richard Nikl.
The artworks by the individual finalists were presented to the public in the course of several months within
a countrywide related event 5 Finalists 5 Months 5 Places. Besides Prague, the artists also introduced
themselves in Brno, České Budějovice, Ostrava and Pilsen. Jindřich Chalupecký Society has also
organized the first edition of the international colloquium on visual arts called The Beginning of the
Present.
The Final 2013 exhibition, which presents the works by this year’s finalists Daniela Baráčková, Aleš
Čermák, Václav Magid, Richard Nikl and now holder of Jindřich Chalupecký Award Dominik Lang, is held
in the Veletržní Palace of the National Gallery in Prague and will be open until December 1. The
founding of the award is linked to the personalities of Václav Havel, Theodor Pištěk and Jiří Kolář.
Jindřich Chalupecký Award has been awarded since 1990 to artists up to the age of 35. Past award
holders include Kateřina Šedá, Michal Pěchouček, Ján Mančuška, Jiří Černický and Eva Koťátková.
Statement of the Jury:
The jury has appreciated the high quality of the works by all finalists of Jindřich Chalupecký Award and
congratulates all of the artists on their contributions. The variety of artistic approaches, methods, contents
and responses to the given exhibition space underlines the vitality and potential of the young Czech art
scene as well as the continuous significance of Jindřich Chalupecký Award.
After a thorough consideration and discussion, the jury has unequivocally agreed to award the Jindřich
Chalupecký Award 2013 to Dominik Lang on the basis of the balanced quality of his previous works as
well as his current presentation.
The jury was captured primarily by the maturity and thoughtfulness of Lang’s intervention in the
architectonic structure of the building of Veletržní Palace. In this artwork, as well as in all of his works, the
sculptor’s language and the surrounding architectonic space lead a constant dialogue while retaining the
necessary suspense. Lang’s intervention suggests a criticism of the isolation of the gallery building from
its surroundings; the scenery of streets and views as well as the general light conditions and movement of
the sun; however, at the same time, it successfully resists a one-sided interpretation in the sense of pure
criticism, offering a poetic extension of reflections on landscape, the natural frame, the sun’s orbit and the
cyclic life concept instead.
The jury members congratulate Dominik Lang on his award and the other finalists on their successful
presentation.