Hynek Martinec's 'Applecore' Mural to Be Destroyed in Public Performance at Hypha Gallery South Bank
Czech artist Hynek Martinec has proudly unveiled a striking wall artwork titled 'Applecore,' which spans 17 meters, at Hypha Gallery in London. Open to the public from August 29 to October 1, 2026, this mural was created in just eight days using black and white charcoal. As part of the exhibition, Martinec will don an apple costume for its climactic destruction on the final day. Additionally, a connected exhibition featuring 13 surrealistic paintings, also named 'Applecore,' will follow at Varvara Roza Galleries from September 30 to October 20, 2026. This marks Martinec's innovative integration of AI into his artistic process.
Key facts
- Hynek Martinec created a 17-metre-wide charcoal mural titled 'Applecore' at Hypha Gallery South Bank, London, on view 29 August – 1 October 2026.
- The mural will be publicly destroyed by Martinec, dressed as an apple, on 1 October 2026.
- A related exhibition of thirteen paintings runs 30 September – 20 October 2026 at Varvara Roza Galleries, 8 Duke Street, St James, London.
- Martinec used AI for the first time to design some areas of the mural.
- The mural references Masaccio's 'The Expulsion from the Garden of Eden' (1425), John Martin's 'The Deluge' (1834), and Rembrandt's 'Night Watch' (1642).
- 30 'dream drawings' are exhibited opposite the mural; Martinec has sketched his dreams since 2007.
- The project follows a similar 2023 mural at DOX gallery in Prague, where Martinec dressed as a lemon.
- Martinec was born nearly deaf and received hearing aids in the early 1980s.
Entities
Artists
- Hynek Martinec
- Paul Carey-Kent
- Paul Plews
- Masaccio
- John Martin
- Rembrandt van Rijn
- Jan Brueghel the Elder
- Peter Paul Rubens
- Marina Abramović
- Mike Kelley
- Cézanne
- Tony Blair
- Francis Bacon
- Agnes
- Ben Tufnell
- Jan Palach
- Zdeněk Beran
Institutions
- Hypha Gallery South Bank
- Varvara Roza Galleries
- DOX gallery
- Artlyst
- Hypha Studios
- Royal Academy of Arts
- National Portrait Gallery London
- National Gallery Prague
- National Museum Stockholm
- National Gallery of Finland
- Jan Palach Memorial
- DOX Centre for Contemporary Art
- Hypha Studios South Bank
- National Portrait Gallery
- British Museum
- National Museum in Stockholm
- Zabludowicz Collection
- Sammlung FIEDE
- Standard Chartered Bank
- WCIT Collection
- Asante Art Collection
- Pro Arte Collection
- Robert Runtak Collection
- Omer Koc Collection
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Prague
- Czech Republic
- South Bank
- St James
- Duke Street
- Southwark Bridge Rd
- St James's
- Všetaty
- Stockholm
- Finland
- Aschaffenburg
- Basel
- Olomouc
- Istanbul
Sources
- Artlyst —
- FAD Magazine —
- Art Plugged —