The exhibition title is inspired by a poem from Jiří Kolář's collection Návod k upotřebení (Instructions for Use, 1969) and refers to the unique connection between the visual and literary work of both artists. The exhibition presents not only visual artworks but also a selection of their poetry, highlighting the interweaving of image and word – a defining characteristic of their shared artistic approach. The display comprises works on loan from private collections, including the prominent art collector Jan Kukal, the Czech-German private collection COLLETT Prague / Munich, and the private collection of the renowned Czech art collector František Dvořáček, which supplements the work of Ladislav Novák.
Jiří Kolář is among the most significant figures of the 20th-century Czech art scene. As a poet and artist, he seamlessly linked text with imagery and elevated the technique of collage into a unique artistic language. Conversely, Ladislav Novák developed original visual processes based on the principles of chance and experimentation, with his work oscillating between poetry, visual art, and performance. Notable among these are his innovative techniques such as froissage, machlage, and veronage. The exhibition also commemorates their deep artistic friendship and their collective search for new means of expression that transcend the boundaries of individual artistic disciplines.
Juraj Králik, Director General of the SNG, remarked on the exhibition: "This is a unique encounter between two exceptional creators who naturally bridged visual art and poetry. Their works prove that image and word can form a single whole and enrich one another. I am pleased that we can once again present this specific artistic dialogue to the Slovak public after a hiatus of nearly thirtyy years."
Exhibition curator Martin Dostál explains: "The exhibition naturally features visual artefacts from both creators, yet it does not overlook the fact that both were equally men of letters. Consequently, several of their poems form part of the display. This is particularly evident with Jiří Kolář, who entered the Czech cultural scene as an acclaimed poet before gradually dissolving his 'poetics' into a visual 'feast'." Co-curator and artist Vladimír Kordoš adds: "I admire Ladislav Novák because his art is an expression of what he found to be the meaning of life."
The exhibition A Tribute to Flies, Spiders, Fish, Mice, and Dogs offers visitors a unique opportunity to peer into a world where the boundaries between literature and visual art blur and where imagination takes on new, unexpected forms. Accompanying events will include curatorial talks and a public art studio titled 'Create Your Own Kolář, Create Your Own Novák', located directly within the exhibition space.
Jiří Kolář (24 September 1914, Protivín – 11 August 2002, Prague)
A poet of both word and image, Kolář was one of the most prominent social phenomena of the Czech and European cultural scenes. Despite profound personal and political hardships, his extraordinary civic and cultural engagement remains an example of a positive approach to art and culture. We continually return to his work, whether perceiving it as the haunting testimony of a modernist intellectual convinced of the purpose of art, or as evidence of infinite visual creativity. Kolář’s poems are saturated with imagery, just as his visual work operates with the poetics of words and the poetry of images. He elevated the technique of collage to the finest level of visual equilibrium.
Ladislav Novák (4 August 1925, Turnov – 28 July 1999, Třebíč)
The name of Ladislav Novák belongs as much to the world of poetry as to visual art and is unique within the Central European context. His creative starting points were not based on a quest for external beauty, but on a deep exploration of the relationship between human consciousness and the elusive energy of chaos.
He applied the principles of surrealist chance primarily in his froissages (creased papers where the folds created accidental structures he further developed), as well as in his machlages, veronages, and alchymages. As a man inherently connected to the arts, he published poetry from the mid-1940s. In the 1960s, as his visual work began, and throughout the following decade, he dedicated himself equally to performance art and texts for happenings.
The town of Třebíč, where he lived and worked for many years, honoured him after his death by opening the Ladislav Novák Gallery in 2002. Despite working away from major artistic centres, he achieved international recognition during his lifetime, particularly in Italy and France. His vital companion and advocate was the distinguished Czech art and literary theorist, critic, and historian, Jindřich Chalupecký.
Exhibition Title: Kolář + Novák | A Tribute to Flies, Spiders, Fish, Mice, and Dogs
Venue: SNG, Rázusovo nábrežie, Bratislava, Hall I
Dates: 26 March – 30 August 2026
Curators: Martin Dostál, Vladimír Kordoš
