3 (dis)courses of woman

The premier of topical exhibition introduces a series of paintings, sculptures, photographs, drawings and graphics from the Gallery’s collection by 42 artists which explore three of the most pivotal stages of a woman’s life: childhood, adulthood and old age. The works analyze the phenomenon of women over the “course” of time, emphasizing the transformations and variety of roles which women play throughout their lives. The exhibition also addresses the issues of identity, time and human relationships. Presented as part of the Collections cycle of exhibitions.

The exhibition examines the various forms and roles of womanhood – from the innocence of childhood and the responsibility and creative energy of motherhood to the wisdom and introspection of old age. The thematic collection reflects not only on the biological and social aspects of these stages but also how they are depicted in culture and in art. The concept of the exhibition provides a visually and emotionally rich overview of the ways in which womanhood has changed and how artists have sought to interpret this phenomenon in their work. The first discourse of womanhood explored within the framework of the exhibition is that of Childhood. The innocence, fragility of women’s early years are contrasted with their playful and carefree aspect in coloured graphics by Štefan Cpin, drawings by Emil Makovický and Andor Borúth, paintings by (Sándor?) Streliský and objects by Eva Moflárová and Paulína Halasová.

The power of love and motherhood is highlighted in the second section, titled Adulthood, in which women are shown as childbearers, caregivers, workers and loving partners. Women in full awareness of their own strength are shown as goddess figures in works by Paulína Halasová, Eva Moflárová and Amalka Ľudmila Valenčíková. The motif of the working woman is explored in coloured woodcuts by Štefan Cpin, sketches by Emil Makovický, large-format paintings by Michal Petrek and Vladimíra (Weiss) Savkaničová, and in printed graphics by Viktória (Šoltisová) Lukačková. Affectionate partnership is the subject of works by Ajlo Beran and Ruth Dubayová, while the photography of Robo Kočan and Jaroslav Malík addresses the inherent mystique and everyday existence of women, respectively. The frustrations and exhaustions of day-to-day responsibilities are reflected in works by Andor Borúth, Jana Kiselová-Siteková, Mária Ferenc and Jaroslav Čech. The psychoanalyst Clarissa Pinkola Estés interpreted the female psyche in her cult study Women Who Run with the Wolves, a work which celebrated the unbridled energy and strength of womankind and testified to the wit and endurance of the feminine soul. In art, these qualities are often interpreted through the motif of the female nude, and this is reflected in the exhibition through a painting by Marián Hennel, bronze sculptures by Ondrej Priatka and Arpád Račko, a stylized wooden figure by Daniel Tatarka, graphics by Orest Dubay Jr., Marián Hennel, Zdeněk Jeřábek and Eva Čarnoká, and in drawings and preparatory sketches by Andor Borúth, Emil Makovický, Vincent Hložník, Jozef Kostka, Ladislav Kacvinský, Ján Šimo-Svrček, Petr Jedlička and Jaroslav Čech.

Works by many artists, including Dezider Milly, Ladislav Kacvinský, Ján Ilavský, Mikuláš Siranko, Imrich Svitana, Eva Melkovičová, Miroslav Bonk, Eva Moflárová and Zuzana Kacvinská, depict the motif of a mother holding her child in her arms, a personification of the cult of motherhood which evokes deep emotions and feelings of love. The iconography of the Madonna and Child is reflected in the Virgin Mary figures in works by Štefan Cpin, Eva Melkovičová, Mária Rudavská, Mikuláš Kravjanský, Martin Mlynarič and Amalka Ľudmila Valenčíková. In the photography of Katarína Balúnová, the artist depicts herself in the role of a saint.

The exhibition closes with the theme of Old Age by means of an interpretation of the joys and sorrows which accompany our advancing years. In this phase of life, we are given space in which to take stock of our lived experiences, to look back nostalgically on the past and reflect on our frustrations, thwarted dreams and missed chances but also on our moments of joy. In our old age, life has not come to an end: it is instead an opportunity to build upon our experience and accept the passage of time with equanimity. The positivity and pleasures of the lived moment can be seen in the works of Petr Jedlička and Daniela Kapráľová, while the common denominators of the exhibited works by Andor Borúth, Štefan Cpin, Zdeněk Jeřábek, Petr Jedlička, Viliam Pirchala and Daniela Kapráľová are melancholy, nostalgia, and different ways of contemplating life.

The themes of identity, the passage of time and the fickle nature of life are reflected upon in the exhibition through an extensive range of paintings in a variety of styles and periods. The exhibition offers a space in which visitors can meditate and find emotional connections through universal human experiences. The featured works celebrate the issue of womanhood in all its diversity, opening up the potential for interpretation while emphasizing the uniqueness and significance of women in social and cultural affairs.

Mgr. Kamila Paceková, exhibition curator