Jakub Jansa's 'Club of Opportunities' at KodlContemporary, Berlin
Jakub Jansa's extensive cinematic endeavor, 'Club of Opportunities', launched in 2017, is showcased at KodlContemporary in Berlin. This social satire features nine episodes along with related installations, each presenting a unique visual style. The narrative follows Celerist, a character that is part celery root and part human, as he navigates a fictional, stratified vegetable society. Collaborating with Czech historian and philosopher Kamil Nábělek, who formulated a theory of celerist ontology, Jansa explores themes of tyranny, social mobility, labor, and identity through the contrast of humble celeriacs and refined avocados. Notable episodes include 'Shame to Pride' (2021), 'Opening Ceremony' (2022), and 'Pumpkinville' (2024). The exhibition draws inspiration from Gianni Rodari's 'Tale of Cipollino' (1951) and Vincenzo Latronico's 'Perfection' (2025), presenting a vibrant, DIY critique of contemporary indoctrination.
Key facts
- Jakub Jansa's film project 'Club of Opportunities' began in 2017.
- The exhibition is at KodlContemporary in Berlin.
- The project consists of nine episodes and corresponding installations.
- It features Celerist, a half celery root, half man protagonist.
- Kamil Nábělek, a Czech historian and philosopher, contributed to the project's theoretical framework.
- Episodes include 'Shame to Pride' (2021), 'Opening Ceremony' (2022), and 'Pumpkinville' (2024).
- The work explores tyranny, class mobility, labour, and social economics.
- It references Gianni Rodari's 'Tale of Cipollino' (1951) and Vincenzo Latronico's 'Perfection' (2025).
Entities
Artists
- Jakub Jansa
- Kamil Nábělek
- Gianni Rodari
- Vincenzo Latronico
Institutions
- KodlContemporary
- Bolshoi Theatre
Locations
- Berlin
- Germany
- Moscow
- Russia
- Czech Republic
- Czechoslovakia