Jan Merta: Lidová škola umění – Jan Merta and with him Jasanský – Polák
Ústí nad Labem House of Arts, Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic, 14.09.–25.11.2023
Jan Merta, How Many Minutes Of Silence, 2021–2022
The city of Ústí nad Labem is often viewed as having no significant influence on the development of contemporary art, but, closer examination many interesting connections that, at the very least, challenge this notion. Jan Merta, one of the key figures of contemporary Czech painting, was born in 1952, and his story illustrates how, both in the past and present, this city situated on the cultural periphery has provided important impulses for the artistic growth of undeniably creative personalities and has thus helped shape the greater art scene in general. The exhibition Lidová škola umění, which is being hosted by the Ústí nad Labem House of Arts, is based on memories from the artist’s adolescence, a period of time spanning from 1966 to 1972, during which he lived in the city, as well as from frequent visits with his parents, who lived here too until 1989, as Jan’s father, Hynek Merta, was as a pastor in [...]
