Flowers from Other Worlds

Description

Exhibition "Flowers from Other Worlds. Anna Zemánková, Cecilie Marková, Marie Kodovská and Czech Spiritists" (Kwiaty innych światów. Anna Zemánková, Cecilie Marková, Marie Kodovská oraz czescy spirytyści) presents a selection of works centered around the motif of the flower, which holds a significant place in the Art Brut collection of Olomouc. Flowers – long considered some of the most striking archetypes in art – are not mere representations of real nature, but primarily projections of the inner self, a kind of "Botany of the Soul." They are deeply intimate; they become metaphors, signs, and symbols. They act as messages from "other worlds" and images of altered perception dimensions. The visual transformations of these worlds take on unconventional, often dreamlike and strange forms, characterized by a unique expressive power. This is particularly evident in the extraordinary phenomenon of so-called mediumistic drawings. An extensive body of drawings created through mediums developed within the active spiritist societies in the Czech lands at the end of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century. This flourishing was supported by a freer and more tolerant social atmosphere in Bohemia and Moravia, as well as by the specific cultural conditions shaped by the region's history. The scope and mass character of this phenomenon are probably unparalleled in the European context. Another phenomenon was dozens of exhibitions of mediumistic drawings organized by spiritist societies across the country until 1938. Their works attracted the interest and admiration of artists like Josef Čapek and Jan Zrzavý. However, under subsequent totalitarian regimes – Nazi and Communist – this tradition gradually faded. The creators of spiritist drawings, mostly from rural and small-town backgrounds, did not see themselves as the true authors of their works. Rather, they considered themselves mediators – as mediums. Their works were created in a special state of inspiration, influenced by a strong creative impulse and a feeling of extraordinary connection with invisible sources, which they often named after spirits, sometimes also after known or unknown planets. They usually noted the duration of this "connection" under their drawings, during which the work was created. These were neither mentally ill nor socially marginalized individuals. Their work was based on the ideals of Spiritism. It is noteworthy that the principle of free automatism, expressed in these works, is also one of the foundations of Surrealist art. The exhibition presents a selection of works created throughout the 20th century by more than twenty artists, including anonymous creators as well as well-known names like Anna Zemánková, Cecilie Marková, and Josef Kotzian. One of the fundamental criteria for selecting the works was their undeniable artistic value and convincing authenticity – qualities that define the extraordinary power and significance of this unique creation. The works on display come from the collection of the Olomouc Museum of Art. Curators of the exhibition: Anežka Šimková, Šárka Belšíková (Olomouc Museum of Art), Sonia Wilk (Silesian Museum). Note: This text was translated by machine translation software and not by a human translator. It may contain translation errors.

Highlights

• Exhibition on flowers in the Art Brut collection
• Works by Anna Zemánková, Cecilie Marková, and Marie Kodovská
• Focus on mediumistic drawings and spiritist art

General Information

The exhibition "Flowers from Other Worlds" at the Museum of Modern Art in Olomouc showcases a selection of artworks themed around the motif of the flower. It explores the connection between art and inner perception, particularly through mediumistic drawing, which emerged in the context of Czech spiritists.

Location

Denisova 47, 779 00 Olomouc, Czech Republic

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