Exhibition by a Romani artist in Hradec Králové!
Opening of the Insectopia exhibition in Hradec Králové
As part of the Gendaľipen project, we are exhibiting works in Hradec Králové by the talented Romani queer artist and recent Jindřich Chalupecký Award laureate, Robert Gabris.
This is all in collaboration with Artivist Lab and Kampus Hybernská, with the participation of curator Tamara Moyzes.
The opening of the exhibition, titled Insectopia, took place on August 5, 2021, at 6:00 PM at the Galerie za Galerií, part of the Center for Artistic Activities in Hradec Králové. It will be on view until
October 31, 2021.
In his work titled "Insectopia"—a portmanteau of "insect" and "utopia"—Robert Gabris artistically depicts the vulnerability of his own body, transforming it into the form of an insect. In doing so, he creates an analogy to the status of the ethnic body or culture within ethnological museums.
The defenseless insect, caught, killed, and displayed in a museum box, inspires the young artist to protest against the "hegemonic process."
In his work, Robert Gabris explores marginalized groups and queer embodiment with both sensitivity and an engaged perspective, confronting the norms and boundaries of mainstream society.
Through traditional media such as drawing, with overlaps into performance and installation, he addresses the complexities of his own identities—sexual, geographical, and national.
Robert Gabris studied scenography at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava and continued his master's studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. He works with drawing, which often extends into installation and performance. His predominantly autobiographical work frequently touches on the theme of identity politics.
He is interested in marginalized groups and queer embodiment in confrontation with the norms and boundaries of mainstream society. For him, experimental drawing is a form of resistance against racism and various forms of (social) exclusion.
Gabris has presented his work primarily in the Central European context, but also in cities such as Riga and Shanghai. In recent years, he has exhibited more frequently on the Czech scene, for example at the Matter of Art biennial (2020), at the Artivist Lab gallery (2019), and at the Moravian Gallery in Brno (2017).
He exhibits his work all over the world; in addition to the aforementioned Jindřich Chalupecký Award, he has received other prestigious honors, including the Strabag Artaward International in Austria.
