Oskár Čepan

Michal Moravčík (1974–2016) studied sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava. Although he was trained as a classical sculptor, his approach was markedly conceptual. His objects were created by appropriation of already existing objects rather than ex nihilo (out of nothing). As material, he would often use old furniture, mainly from the communist era, which in the artist’s mind carried aesthetic as well as specific ideological qualities. Moravčík worked with text, photography, installation, performance. His oeuvre pointed at the risk of undemocratic systems and misuse of power, dealt with the issue of public space and the functioning of institutions. He was also an activist, taking part in the Twenty Years from the Velvet Revolution Did Not Passinitiative, the protests against installation of the statue of king Svätopluk at the Bratislava Castle, and others. He and the artists Dalibor Bača, Tomáš Džadoň, and Martin Piaček in 2010 founded the public-artproject Public Pedestal (Verejný podstavec), using it to give critical yet constructive reactions to the events in the public space. Moravčík as an artist had as his point of departure the belief that the very things we normally overlook (like the visual state of the public space, the general loss of privacy, the prevalent political ideologies) have crucial impact on the lives of individuals. His artistic and civil activities were characterized by an effort to revitalize the existing state of things. He won the Oskár Čepan Award in 2004. The finalists’ exhibition took place in the Bratislava City Gallery. The other finalists were Tomáš Agat Blonski, Jaroslav Kyša and Peter Maukš Voda.