Partly cloudy

František Skála at the Riding School: Wandering in Wonderland
František Skála exhibition @ Waldstein Riding School till 03.09.2017
With his wide range of artistic talents, František Skála is a well-known Czech artist (sculptor, painter, children's book illustrator, musician, and performer). After he completed the University of Applied Arts in Prague (VŠUP) in film and television graphics in 1982, he started as a children’s book illustrator and his illustrations were awarded the “Most Beautiful Book of the Year Prize” several times by the Czech Ministry of Culture. Along with illustrations, he also started creating paintings and sculptures. His works are mostly a combination of many different materials and techniques, reflecting nature and humanity through his unique vision.
“With a mixture of humor and graveness, sarcasm and respect, monumentalness and tender sensitivity he creates most of his variations on natural objects,” writes Ludvík Hlaváček, a Czech curator, about Skála. “However beside sensitive communications with nature, he reflects in his works other parts of human life, i.e. the creation and processing of synthetic substances.”
František Skála’s current exhibition at the Wallenstein Riding School is one of the best “illustrations” for his unique artistic styles. The exhibit includes several small rooms with different projects on themes including tribal, dreaming, privacy, and mutation. This is why the exhibition is described as “museums within a museum.” The displayed artworks vary from paintings to mix-media sculptures. From one room to another, the exhibit takes visitors through a journey of dreams, nature, and human lives physically and emotionally, leaving visitors with curiosity and questions about the connections of the works and the artist and curators’ purposes.
The Wallenstein Riding School, known for its exhibitions of classic arts, is also an interesting choice of venue for Skála’s works. However, Skála and curator Tomáš Pospiszyl have worked to create a dreamy space with a combination of artificial and natural lights, unequal and crooked small areas, and an unconventional placement of artworks. Visitors are free to get lost in this wonderland of visual objects created from Skála’s dreams; for instance, the House of Dreams collection at the beginning of the exhibition in the Pavillon room illustrating the notion of Skála’s dream palace. The pieces are transparent, reflecting the colorful light from outdoors.
One of the most impressive works in the exhibition is Kulér in the Privat (Private) room displays a giant cocoon sleeping in a dark room with a bed, curtains, small working desks, a pair of in-house slippers, and decorations. The room gives visitors a glance into the artist’s private bedroom. The artwork presents a question of privacy and surveillance, or reality and dream. Is the room a dream of the artist or is the cocoon the artist himself dreaming?
Another highlight, throughout the exhibition, is the tribal theme. There is a room displaying tribal artifacts collected by Skála, and from there, visitors can continue on a sort of tribal dream of Skála’s with many other interesting tribal-influenced works on both floors.
The exhibition by František Skála runs until September 3 to give visitors a chance to enter his unique, artistic wonderland. Visitors can interpret the exhibition as many small pieces of art, which are not related, or as a strange dream that one might have. The exhibit leaves visitors not only with wonderment, but also awe and admiration for the artist’s massive creativity.
Wallenstein Riding School
Valdštejnská 3, Praha 1 - Malá Strana, 118 00
Opened until 3.9.2017
Full CZK 200 | Reduced CZK 100 | Family ticket CZK 350 | School groups CZK 30 | Younger 10 years free
Related articles
-
A Day Trip To Some Of The Best Castles by Shaun O'Banion
The results are in and the most popular Czech castles (based on the number of visitors) have been announced by the Czech state.
-
The upcoming TEDxUNYP event: Inspiration in a complicated world by Paul Lysek
What is TEDxUNYP? Who is invited? Why would one attend? These were the various questions going through my head when I spoke to Mark Anderson , TEDxUNYP Organizer & Licensee.
-
Films to Watch at this Year’s One World Festival by Brad McGregor
-
HBO’s The Sleepers Takes You Back to Prague 1989 by
If you’re familiar with award-winning HBO’s Chernobyl, then you will love HBO’s new mini-series The Sleepers.
-
JOJO RABBIT, shot in the Czech Republic, receives six Academy Award nominations (including Best Picture) and six BAFTA nominations! by Shaun O'Banion
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the nominees for the best in cinema for 2019 and among the nominees was Taika Waititi’s JOJO RABBIT which stars Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, newcomer Roman Griffin Davis, and Thomasin Mackenzie.
-
WATCH: Hungarian PM Victor Orbán Booed at Reopening of Prague State Opera House by Caroline Marcela
On Sunday Evening, Hungarian PM Victor Orbán was received with jeers and boos from protesters as he attended the reopening of the State Opera House gala event. Protesters shouted out ‘hanba’, meaning shame in Czech as he exited his private car.
-
'Movie Barf Monday' - a weekly English friendly film night by Ryan Keating
Movie Barf and Edison Filmhub are thrilled to present 'Movie Barf Monday' - a weekly English friendly film night dedicated to screening a diverse variety of award-winning contemporary and classic films in the new Edison Filmhub cinema and bar located in Prague's old town.
-
The Prague Orgy - a new Czech film in English in Czech cinemas by Michal Kráčmer
LESS LIBERTY, BETTER FUCKS
-
Festival 4+4 Days in Motion by Eliška Míkovcová (4+4 Festival)
Festival 4+4 Days in Motion to start in Desfours Palace, this year’s slogan is Nobody Has Anything
-
Lunchmeat Festival 2019—Dark Stars on the Horizon by Tony Ozuna - (Photo Lunchmeat Festival)
Lunchmeat Festival returns to Prague at the end of September as the leading arena for cutting-edge electronic music and with more audio-visual punch than ever before. Their new motto is a challenge to the mainstream: “obsessed with audio-visual mindf**cks— & those who question the status quo.”
Facebook comments
Enjoy Prague from a different view
Authentic Italian cuisine in Prague
Best Irish Pub in Prague
Discover the history of Prague’s famous Charles Bridge
Trabant Museum @ STK Motol
Armádní muzeum Žižkov
Národní památník hrdinů heydrichiády

Prague’s # 1 source for Czech news in English…
.png)
Digital lifestyle magazine platform promoting life in Prague.