Oskár Čepan

"In my current practice, I am interested in conveying emotional affects that have a significant impact on the dynamics of society and its active transformation. In my research, I define them mainly through the following ideological circles: the so-called resilient society and resilience, which, among other things, are addressed by Czech philosopher Alice Koubová. I also explore the themes of anarchism and infrapolitics and their quiet, civic forms of resistance, which include a spectrum of unconventional weapons of the "weak"—such as singing, whispering, pop culture, diaries, writing, etc.—where I draw inspiration from, for example, the American thinker James C. Scott. With the help of these starting points, I explore how human and everyday emotionality can have political potential and whether it can be a tool for collective resilience or the ability to mobilize against possible power or climate threats in relation to the future. Through fictional narratives, performative techniques, and speculative objects, I explore the relationship between experienced anxiety, silent tools of sharing, and emergence."

Nikola Balberčáková (1994, Michalovce) is a visual artist working between Bratislava and Prague. She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava (Department of Intermedia) and completed her master's degree at UMPRUM in Prague (Studio of Photography). During her studies, she completed an internship at Newcastle University of Fine Arts. In 2024, she was a resident in Athens (SKUSY), at Tabačka Kulturfabrik in Košice, at the Brno House of Arts, and in 2023 at Schaubmar's Mill in Pezinok. Group exhibitions (selection): Doe vs. Siren: On Metabolization and Shapeshifting (Medium Gallery, Bratislava, 2025), ‘dilithium, chapter 2: doppelgängers‘ (E X I L E Vienna, 2024), The rotten smell is you (Kunsthalle Bratislava, 2023), Glorify our Hormones (VUNU Gallery, Košice, 2020).

Photo: Lena Gallovičová