Matěj Janák’s exhibition ‚FALLEN‘ uncovers the hidden aesthetics within chaos and destruction. In his art, Janák delves into the higher forms of abstractions found in the narratives of wrecked luxury cars, illustrating their fall from admired symbols of power and success to shattered fragments of their past glory. His artistic approach is rooted in the deliberate quest for abstract shapes in unexpected places. Janák thus beckons us to ponder deeply on the evolution and fluidity of human ambitions and the pursuit of seemingly attainable dreams that can, however, culminate in tragedy and ruin. Through the wrecked cars and their symbolic significance, he stimulates intense contemplation on the essence of human aspirations, the fragility and mutability of our desires and the role of materials and objects inour existence. Janák draws a parallel between human strivings and their elusiveness, as well as the fragility and inevitability of human existence.
DEATH IS OVERRATED
Artistic expression often draws a strong parallel between life and death. The car, initially a tool to simplify everyday life, becomes an object of desire, embodying the velocity and dynamism of the human existence. Janák portrays the metamorphosis of objects from practical items into symbols of remembrance through the depiction of physical ruins, complemented with aesthetic details. These artifacts gain a new identity and value, which are transformed by certain events and circumstances. The cycle of destruction and renewal is present in every moment of our existence. Janák’s technique hovers on the edge between the tangible and the imagined world. Techniques such as airbrushing, underpainting, sanding, and glazing bring elements of realism into his works, which are simultaneously distorted and tied to the manipulation of digital imagery. The monochromatic canvases are complemented by segments reflecting on the substance of materials. The installation allows us to enter an imaginary realm where factual characters and happenings converse with our personal imaginations.
GHOST CARS, GHOST PEOPLE.
Translation: Anastasia Jegorová
Original text: Andrea Šturalová
