HICE MMXV*
Oldřich Tichý, curator
When I was invited in 2014 to take part in the Mikulov Art Symposium, it was a whole new experience for me. I had never before participated in a similar event, which made my experience very strong, profuse and unforgettable. It was simply an odd year, which is how we eventually named the catalogue. For these and other reasons, I accepted the role of the curator for the following year (that is the person in charge of choosing the participating artists and of the symposium’s direction). And since I have been focusing on painting since my teenage years, as well as working with suspended objects, I was looking for authors of a similar focus. It wasn’t easy, I had very little time, but I believe that in the end, I succeeded in putting together a group of several great artists whose works will adorn the Mikulov collection. Literary speaking, a symposium is an intimate debate circle. I think we enjoyed a lot of that, both professionally and personally. Thank you for this opportunity we received from the people in Mikulov. For the future, I wish "dílna" a long life and good artists.
P.S. I hope you will soon find a suitable location for a permanent gallery for your collection. It is beautiful and very good and would deserve it. It would be without a doubt a great asses for your fascinating town and the entire region.
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* Hice [hee-thzeh] – colloquial Czech term for persisting heat or heat waves.
Rostislav Koštial, mayor of the town Mikulov
For an incredible twenty years, the Mikulov Art Symposium has been happening in our town!
It would seem this regular event has nothing new to offer and looking from afar, some might think it has passed its peak. This year, however, has shown no such thing. On the contrary, I find it to be one of the most successful in the long and idea-filled series of the art symposia.
At first sight, the number 22 is not very interesting, but this year, the symposium was exceptional in that, among other things, a new team had taken up the task of organizing it. The new production team did not have it easy: they predecessors successfully organized our symposiums for years, and they also entered the scene rather late. Despite this, however, they did a wonderful job. As I personally checked, the visitors as well as the protagonists of this year’s symposium were delighted, and the art works created here are again unique.
Please allow me a personal and subjective view of the art pieces. I was pleased to see the return of traditional techniques such as painting and photography, as well as the creative and friendly approach of the curator and his team to the challenge of the event.
Last year, the title of the event was “An Odd Year”, due to the unusual drive of all the participating artists. This season was no less dynamic and despite the gruelling heat waves – or “hice” in the local dialect – Mikulov again became the site where many beautiful and valuable were created, this time under the unusual tiles of “HICE MMXV”.
Let me conclude by thanking all those who helped to make the symposium a success – to the production team for wonderfully taking over quite late in the process, the artists for their enthusiasm, to all the donors for their generosity, mainly to the South Moravian Region, and last but not least to the Mikulov town council for its unwavering desire to support and organize this spectacular event.
Mikulov Art Symposium 2015
July 11th - August 8th, 2015
The list of participants is not yet available.