Hunting and gathering

JULIE DAŇHEL ∙ JAN DAŇHEL

Exhibition: 9 September - 30 October 2022, Wednesdays and Thursdays 2 - 6 pm

Accompanying text by Roman Dergam

The animal, seemingly domesticated, but still a beast inwardly, has to change the dynamics of its movement in order to overcome the obstacles of civilization in the form of fields sown with monocultures of cereals or agricultural areas made up of a community of different types of grasses, clovers and herbs.

For he is pursued by an armed representative of the authorities, pretending to care for and hunt the forest animals, adorned with the trophy attributes of the birds on a headdress that holds its own shape. Although this representative is etymologically linked to the activity of the mind, his action in the situation described shows that he is undoubtedly boiling water.

The animal is appropriated by this power, its activities are subjected to constant scrutiny, especially its apparent manifestations of a joyful, carefree spirit. Despite its proclaimed will to communicate, however, the animal itself is aware of the depth of the cognitive maze in which it finds itself, and therefore does not respond to the stimuli of power. Hop, and hop on.

(Fragments of new songs)

JULIE DAŇHELOVÁ is a student of the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague. After two years in the Graphic Design II studio of Vladimír Kokola, she participated in the Intermedia III studio of Tomáš Vaňek, Jiří Skála and Jiří Kovanda. In 2021, she participated in an internship in Šaloun - the studio of a visiting artist under the guidance of Anetta Mona Chișa. Her main medium is drawing, but for the last few years she has also been working with objects.

JAN DAŇHEL is a photographer, editor, teacher at FAMU and member of the Group of Czech and Slovak Surrealists. He is the author of several solo photographic exhibitions and as an editor he has signed many feature films (e.g. Happiness, Insect, Alchemical Furnace - also director). He is the winner of the Czech Lion (2020) for editing Landscape in the Shadows and the Sun in the Net for Servants (2022).