Altán Klamovka in the Durden and Ray Gallery in Los Angeles

Durden and Ray Gallery, Los Angeles
1206 MAPLE AVENUE #832, LA, CA

Searching for lost worlds
OPENING RECEPTION OCTOBER, 21, 7-10PM

22. 10. – 4. 11. 2023

Artists: Jana Bernartová (CZ), Jorin Bossen (US), Petr Dub (CZ), Roni Feldman (US), Brian Thomas Jones (US), Jiří Kovanda (CZ,) Karolina Lizurej (PL), Darja Lukjanenko (UA), Jan Pfeiffer (CZ) and Hanna Råst (FI)
Curator: Lenka Sýkorová (CZ)
The graphic designer of the exhibition is Darja Lukjanenko.
Produced by Brian Thomas Jones.

Catalogue-Searching-for-lost-worlds

The present can be defined as an uncertain, rapidly changing reality. We lead its experience in parallel both in the physical and virtual worlds. We live in a time when the image is once again becoming the most readable carrier of information across cultures and continents. And our parallel digital identity brings a whole host of challenges to present ourselves and others. The present brings into the field of interest the aesthetics of dystopia, myths and the search for lost worlds. Self-identification is an increasingly complex process, and the search for new cultural patterns often leads us to the paths of alternative worlds that refer to the contemporary aesthetics of seemingly endless fantasy series or neo-romanticism in contemporary art.

The exhibited artists reflect the uncertainty of the present and a certain search for lost worlds, where every shadow can be understood in the context of Plato's ideas as a reflection of the absolute truth of reality. The societal challenges in recent years have taught us to pay greater attention to everyday events, a moment of slowdown and full perception of here and now. Being an intimate gesture, drawing is perceived by many artists as the most direct medium for expressing experiences with a specific sense of sensitivity to noticing the great or small history that is currently taking place. Drawing provides space where you can slow down. You can also think through drawing. A sketch of an idea has accompanied artists since time immemorial. By combining the mind, eye and hand, they can capture the world around us. The combination of thinking and drawing is the basis for the creation of the curatorial project.

In terms of content, the exhibition intertwines many current themes of contemporary art: the topics of care (Hanna Råst, Jiří Kovanda), lessons from history (Karolina Lizurej, Darja Lukjanenko, Petr Dub), revision of the present (Jana Bernartová, Jan Pfeiffer, Brian Thomas Jones) and making present (Roni Feldman and Jorin Bossen). We can only change the future in the present if we become fully aware of this moment and correct the wrong mindset carried over from the past. The exhibition created as part of an international collaboration between the artist-run spaces Altán Klamovka Gallery and Durden and Ray Gallery. It is a unique exhibition collaboration between European and American artists.