Alžběta Jungrová
Trafo Gallery presents a comprehensive exhibition of works by photographer Alžběta Jungrová called EXIT. The exhibition of six diverse collections is complemented by a bilingual narrative publication. The vernissage and launch of the book will take place on Thursday, January 23, 2020 from 7 p.m. More information at www.trafogallery.cz.
Alžběta Jungrová, a former reporter who photographed conflicts and places where no one wanted to go, presents her free work from the last five years at the current exhibition EXIT. It is precisely the departure from reportage photography to free creation and the search for one's own world that is one of the many "exits" that the viewer can find at the exhibition. Another is coming to terms with the transience of this world and definitive adulthood. Jungrová visualizes her feelings through the characters of women, whether real with their own troubled destinies, or just abstract female bodies.
Curator: Alena Ochepovsky Bartková.
The six cycles exhibited in the Trafo Gallery show the versatility and enormous imagination of Jungrová. In addition to classic photography, video, art photography, photo collage or a combination of photography and painting also appear here.
The classic documentary photography that Jungrová grew up with is represented by the photo series "Prisoner". It captures the stories of women who often found themselves at the very edge of humanity. "It's an extremely interesting topic for me", explains Alžběta Jungrová. "In a way, I'm still looking for where our limits are and how far we can go. When I traveled the world, I realized that a person can withstand anything. What we are able to endure is actually incredible. "
But even the photos from behind the scenes of burlesque, which have been in the making for 7 years, have a slightly documentary touch. The photographer followed her development and rise from performing in very modest conditions in smoky bars to performing on the stages of large theaters with spectacular sets. Costumes, make-up, choreography and the character of the entire show changed. Burlesque is unique, mysterious, disappearing and reappearing over time. A fascinating mixture of past and present times, the connection of historical elements and modern reality. Through a visually rich environment, Jungrová reveals the beauty and fragility of women, but also their enormous strength.
The theme of fragility and femininity is followed by the cycle of large black and white photographs "In the mood for Love", which are a very personal statement about love and emotions. Other files already exceed the boundaries of the photograph itself, but each in a different specific way. The audience is grateful for the "Scratch Cards", which were originally created for the exhibition at the White Pearl Gallery and whose final form was contributed to by the audience themselves. Individual motifs intertwine in surreal constellations, based on the author's specific vision, working with a strong contrast of light and shadow, but also the principle of permeation and mirroring of individual moments.
Video projection works with a similar blending principle as photo collages, but the new medium brings dynamism to the stories.
The search for the boundaries of photography is most clearly manifested in the images created in collaboration with Martin Krajc, Jakub Janovský and Michal Škapa. "We've always invented everything together, and I find the possibility of cooperation and confrontation with another artist to be great. Everyone uses different techniques, thinks about things differently and advances the work," says Alžběta. The combination of photography printed on canvas and painting brings a completely new perspective not only to the topic of women and femininity, but also to the entire work of Alžběta Jungrová.
The exhibition is accompanied by a graphic publication by Adam Uchytil, which contains photographs of the exhibited works. These are supplemented by a comprehensive interview with the author.
