The exhibition Silent Spring examines the relationship between humans and nature through artworks from the 1930s to the beginning of normalization. The project focuses on the search for organic abstract forms in sculpture, first emerging in Surrealism before World War II and later in the sculpture of the 1960s. It is named after Rachel Carson's influential book, which first outlined the environmental impacts of pesticide use.
At its core, the exhibition emphasises Czechoslovak sculpture of this period within the broader context of Central Europe. It explores the connections between art from the first and second modernities, as they are known, divided by World War II. From a contemporary perspective, the phenomenon of organic abstraction is linked to today's eco-futuristic questions: Will life as we know it still be possible tomorrow? This present-day aspect of the reflection is further highlighted through interventions by contemporary artists. On display will be nearly 100 works of art by over 40 artists from the collections of the National Gallery in Prague, along with works from regional galleries and foreign institutions in Poland, Slovakia, and Germany that have not yet appeared in domestic exhibitions.
Featured artwork: Jana Olexová, Cactus, 1969, National Gallery in Prague
At its core, the exhibition emphasises Czechoslovak sculpture of this period within the broader context of Central Europe. It explores the connections between art from the first and second modernities, as they are known, divided by World War II. From a contemporary perspective, the phenomenon of organic abstraction is linked to today's eco-futuristic questions: Will life as we know it still be possible tomorrow? This present-day aspect of the reflection is further highlighted through interventions by contemporary artists. On display will be nearly 100 works of art by over 40 artists from the collections of the National Gallery in Prague, along with works from regional galleries and foreign institutions in Poland, Slovakia, and Germany that have not yet appeared in domestic exhibitions.
Featured artwork: Jana Olexová, Cactus, 1969, National Gallery in Prague
