Svet Bez Kouře x Lucie Jindrák Skřivánková
3 July – 10 July
- Artist
- Lucie Jindrák Skřivánková
- Location
- Dvořákovy sady, Karlovy Vary
NOOKART studio initiated and coordinated the collaboration between Czech artist Lucie Jindrák Skřivánková and the Svět bez kouře project, for which the artist was creating a bespoke art object exploring themes of transformation, new beginnings and the possibility of change. Lucie Jindrák Skřivánková’s artistic practice brings together painting, sculptural objects, textiles and light installations. She continuously experiments with materials, textures and colour, often pushing beyond the boundaries of traditional artistic media. Her work explores the transformation of materials, the new meanings they can acquire and their ability to evoke emotional and sensory experiences. The principle of recycling also plays an important role in her practice, allowing existing objects to take on a new context and form. This approach became the starting point for the Svět bez kouře project. The artist works with used ashtrays voluntarily handed in by their former owners as a symbolic gesture of closing one chapter of their lives. For some, this decision represents a complete farewell to cigarettes; for others, a transition to smoke-free alternatives. Objects that once served a familiar purpose are thus stripped of their original function and transformed into carriers of personal stories and individual decisions. Skřivánková translates this symbolism into a spatial work at the intersection of sculpture and installation. Its foundation is a substantial structure composed of black ashtrays, gradually evolving into lighter, more visually delicate layers. The contrast between materials and textures reflects the inner tension that accompanies any process of change – the moment when we seek to leave familiar patterns behind while simultaneously struggling with our own doubts and need for security. Fragments of the donated ashtrays remain embedded within the work, carrying symbolic traces of the stories of their former owners.
“I’m glad to have been invited to take part in this project. I know from personal experience how difficult it is to quit smoking, how difficult it can be to make a change. I have been exploring the theme of transformation for more than two years. The work I am creating holds a tension and contrast of emotions: we want to make a change, yet at the same time, we often stand in our own way, reluctant to step outside our comfort zone,” the artist explains.
As part of the collaboration, NOOKART studio initiated the connection between the artist and the Svět bez kouře project, subsequently overseeing communication and coordinating the project on behalf of Lucie Jindrák Skřivánková. The project reflects NOOKART studio’s broader approach, extending beyond curatorial practice and exhibition production to developing collaborations between contemporary artists, brands, cultural institutions and other partners. Through these partnerships, NOOKART creates opportunities for new artistic commissions and meaningful encounters between contemporary art and contexts beyond the traditional gallery space.
Významnou součástí Luciini práce je také princip recyklace, kdy již existující předměty získávají nový kontext a podobu. Právě tato myšlenka se stala východiskem pro projekt Svět bez kouře. Umělkyně v něm pracuje s použitými popelníky, které jejich původní majitelé odevzdali jako symbolické gesto uzavření jedné životní etapy. Pro některé znamenalo toto rozhodnutí úplné rozloučení s cigaretami, pro jiné přechod na bezdýmné alternativy. Předměty, které dříve sloužily svému účelu, tak ztrácejí svou původní funkci a stávají se nositeli osobních příběhů a rozhodnutí.
Skřivánková tuto symboliku přetváří do prostorového objektu na pomezí sochy a instalace. Jeho základem je masivní struktura z černých popelníků, která se postupně proměňuje do světlejších a vizuálně odlehčenějších vrstev. Kontrast materiálů a jejich struktur odkazuje k vnitřnímu napětí provázejícímu každou změnu – k okamžiku, kdy se rozhodujeme opustit zažité vzorce, ale zároveň se potýkáme s vlastními pochybnostmi a potřebou jistoty. Uvnitř objektu zůstávají ukryté fragmenty odevzdaných popelníků, nesoucí symbolické stopy příběhů jejich původních majitelů.
Lucie Jindrák Skřivánková
Lucie Jindrák Skřivánková is a Czech painter and multidisciplinary artist, recognised as one of the distinctive figures of the contemporary art scene. She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, where she studied in the studio of Michael Rittstein, and began attracting attention for her distinctive artistic approach while still a student. Her practice brings together painting, sculpture, textiles, light installations and new technologies. She continuously explores the expressive possibilities of materials, textures, colour and light, drawing inspiration, among other things, from architecture. Her work often combines traditional artistic techniques with unconventional materials and mediums, including neon, tapestry and 3D technologies. Alongside her gallery practice, she also works on murals, public space installations, projection mapping and applied art. Her work has been exhibited in galleries in the Czech Republic and internationally, including Germany, Brazil, Sweden and South Korea. Her pieces are held in private collections in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the United States.