Taktum

Růžena - Story of the Painter

7/4 - 31/7, 2011, Imperial Stables of the Prague Castle

Project

Růžena The Story of Painter Růžena Zátková

Imperial Stables, Prague CastleApril 8 – July 31, 2011

This exhibition held at Prague Castle will present Růžena Zátková, the only female Czech futurist A new exhibition held in the Imperial Stables of Prague Castle titled Růžena: The Story of Painter Růžena Zátková will present the first comprehensive examination of the short life and synthetic work of Růžena Zátková (1885–1923), the only female Czech futurist. Zátková, who closely co-operated with F. T. Marinetti, a leading figure of Italian futurism, lived and worked primarily abroad and her conquering of the domestic scene was prevented by her premature death. Zátková’s work covers a wide range of expression – collages, kinetic assemblages, and sculptures, as well as illustrations inspired by Persian miniatures, abstract paintings, realistic drawings, primitive and purely decorative works, and even a script for a futurist theatre performance. The exhibition concept is based on the long-term study of foreign archives (Italy, U.S.A., Russia, Switzerland and Croatia) and specialist literature. It presents preserved works from private collections (housed in Rome, Milan, and London, among others) and in confrontation with the parallel artistic expressions of artists close to Zátková (futurists, the Russian avant-garde, Ivan Meštrović), along with rich documentation. The exhibition also contains a modern reconstruction of her statue Ram, which has only been preserved in photographs.     Růžena Zátková spent most of her life abroad (Munich, Rome after her marriage in 1910, Paris, Mallorca, and Switzerland). She studied with Antonín Slavíček, was influenced by Munich symbolism, adopted futurism and studied with Giacomo Balla, a prominent Italian artist. She was close friends with Russian artists Natalia Goncharova and Mikhail Larionov, and Igor Stravinsky dedicated his vocal composition “Four Russian Peasant Songs” to her. She was also close to Ivan Meštrović, a prominent Croatian sculptor. Having divorced Russian diplomat Vassily Khvoshchinsky, she married the leftist journalist, Artur Cappa, the brother of Marinetti’s future wife Benedetta. Zátková died in 1923.

The exhibition is presented by the Prague Castle Administration and Arbor Vitae Societas, under the auspices of the President of the Czech Republic, Václav Klaus, the Minister of Culture, Jiří Besser, and the Mayor of Prague, Bohuslav Svoboda.

www.ruzenazatkova.cz, www.hrad.cz, www.arborvitae.eu 

Imperial Stables of Prague Castle7th April - 31 July 2011

Web page on Artmap

Gallery

Růžena Zátková
Růžena Zátková
Růžena Zátková
Růžena Zátková
Růžena Zátková
Růžena Zátková
Růžena Zátková
Růžena Zátková