Adrian Kiss | Radovan Čerevka |

Restless Dislocations

Áron Fenyvesi | kurátor výstavy

13.02.2025 - 11.05.2025

Galéria Jána Koniarka v Trnave, Synagóga – Centrum súčasného umenia, Halenárska 2, Trnava

Radovan Čerevka and Adrian Kiss completely transform the space of the former Synagogue in Trnava with their immersive installations as part of a joint exhibition produced by the Ján Koniarek Gallery. Both artists created site-specific works in artistic dialogue, focused on generating a unique, ephemeral atmosphere grounded in a tangible and sensory experience of the exhibition’s physical setting. The shared platform for their works is formed by hills, islands, and lakes of muddy clay distributed across the floor of the former synagogue. This artistic intervention deliberately avoids clarifying whether the viewer is situated in an interior or exterior spatial environment, evoking a sense of uncertainty and transience.

Furthermore, the synergy between the two artists' interventions runs deeper, suggesting a state of decay and decomposition. It reflects our shared and profane experience of 20th-century history in the Eastern European region. However, it is crucial to emphasize that the artists’ references are not purely retrospective – they also engage with the psychological dimensions of war and contemporary conflict, while drawing attention to the fundamental human need for stability in a world that is increasingly unstable and nomadic.

In their previous works and exhibitions, Čerevka and Kiss have explored cultural references to archaeological excavations and the hybridization of archaic and futuristic symbols. This exhibition intensifies that aspect of their practice. Within their joint post-apocalyptic artistic universe – aesthetically defined by muddy clay and rusted metal structures – they pose critical questions about a reality in which we feel increasingly unsafe. Contemporary military conflicts not only redefine our concept of safety, often linked with the notion of home, but actively destroy the homes of millions. This collective experience reinforces the perception of the exhibition as an archaeological site of our present, defined by everyday functional objects associated with home and security, such as mattresses and blankets.