Oskár Čepan

“My work refers to the multiplicity of crises we are currently experiencing. In response to the ubiquitous feeling of uncertainty, my work has long focused on exploring concepts of non-normative time and space, drawing primarily from queer theory. At a time when the future seems unpredictable, I try to redirect our attention to the present moment and the experiences that take place within it. This approach stands in stark contrast to traditional reproductive futurism, which favors linear progress and stability. Elements of liminality, my Roma heritage, physicality, and occasionally a bit of mystification enter into my work. These influences are manifested primarily through a place- and time-specific strategy of creation. I create processual installations that enable dynamic interaction between the artwork and its audience. My goal is to create spaces in which authorship and audience have the opportunity to share specific environments and situations, thus creating interpersonal connections that transcend the individual experience of each person.”

Ľuboš Kotlár (1991, Šaľa) is a visual artist and photographer working between Prague and Bratislava. He is a graduate of the Department of Photography and New Media at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava. He has completed exchange programs at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem and the Aalto School of Art Design and Architecture in Helsinki, as well as residencies at Jaw Dikh in Poland, Artak350 in Iceland, MeetFactory in the Czech Republic, and Villa Romana in Italy. His recent solo projects include "last summer i have fallen in love madly" at the Mičurín Summer Swimming Pool in Bratislava (2024) and "something's wrong and i can feel it" at the New Synagogue in Žilina (2024). His work has been presented in Prague as part of the Matter of Art Biennale (2022) and in Skopje as part of Manifesta 14 (2022).

Photo: Lena Gallovičová