The exhibition The Ritual of Cursed Hearts presents the painting work of Jan Vytiska over the last three years. His last solo exhibition in Prague was six years ago. However recognizable and typical his paintings may appear at first sight, their form is undergoing a certain evolution. Vytiska is constantly experimenting, the colours of his paintings are changing, and their formats have gradually increased. Nor does the artist follow only one theme in his content. The exhibition presents almost forty large-scale paintings created by the artist after switching from acrylic to oil paint. Thematically, it is still based on a distinctive mix of Wallachian folklore and pop culture references. However, this is not a return to a tried-and-tested theme, but a new take on it and an expansion of its meaning. Landscapes appear more and more in recent paintings; mountain ranges or flowering meadows contrast with the scene they frame. Vytiska never ceases to mix all kinds of references with his own romantic gesture. In scope, The Ritual of Cursed Hearts exhibition is the artist’s largest project.

Curator: Otto M. Urban

DOX — Centre for Contemporary Art