Július Koller

• acb Galéria, Budapest (HU)
• 04.07.–15.08.2025

In 1970, Július Koller introduced the concept of U.F.O.—short for Universal-Cultural Futurological Operations—into his artistic practice, accompanied by a manifesto. This statement laid the groundwork for much of his later work. Koller used the idea of unidentified flying objects—often associated with pseudoscience and extraterrestrial life—as a metaphorical tool for expressing his personal commitment to shaping cultural situations. Rather than treating U.F.O.s literally, he used them as conceptual cipher to express his active, personal role in analysing and influencing culture.

These long-term “operations” and “cultural situations” were speculative in nature, directed toward the future while offering pointed commentary on the present. During the era of so-called “Normalization” in Czechoslovakia (1972–1989), Koller’s performative use of U.F.O. stood in stark contrast to the prevailing atmosphere of social and political passivity.

With U.F.O., Koller created a layered system of meaning that linked representation with the possibility of its transformation. Each letter in the acronym became a site for multiple interpretations, allowing for playful, open-ended associations. From 1970 onward, he began to explore its acronymic potential: U could stand for Universal, Utopian, or Undisclosed; F included terms like Fantastic, Factorgraphic, Folkloristic, Figural, Familiar, and Functional; O encompassed ideas such as Object, Ornament, Orientation, Observation, and – importantly – Slovak words like Obraz (Picture) and Otáznik (Question Mark).

Through these shifting meanings, Koller encouraged viewers to imagine alternative realities. U.F.O. was not just a concept, but a flexible structure that invited reinterpretation and speculation, making it one of the most inventive and subversive elements of his practice.

This show is in close dialogue with the group exhibition My U.F.O.s, Your U.F.O.s.

Curated by Daniel Grúň

acb Galéria