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Gaspard of the Night exhibition at Prague's Futura Center explores irrationality through gothic and grotesque themes.

opinion-review · 2026-04-19

The exhibition titled Gaspard of the Night took place at the Center for Contemporary Art Futura in Prague from March 2 to May 9, 2010, under the curation of Václav Magid. Magid's vision was to forge a space that intertwined reality with fantasy, challenging the descriptiveness typical of post-conceptual art. Contributions included two photographs by Markéta Othová and dream-inspired textual works by Daniela Baráčková. Michal Pěchouček showcased Filmogram 2,3,4,5,6,7 (2009-2010), featuring six strips of film depicting a chair. Marek Meduna's sculpture L (2010) represents a monkey through its shadow, while Sláva Sobotovičová's video Dove (2008) illustrates a poignant theft. Roman Štětina's sound installation Nocturne (2009-2010) incorporates radio communications. The exhibition explored the essence of art and its connection with audiences in the 21st century.

Key facts

  • Exhibition ran from March 2, 2010 to May 9, 2010
  • Curated by Václav Magid at Center for Contemporary Art Futura in Prague
  • Inspired by Aloysius Bertrand's 19th-century book Gaspard of the Night
  • Aimed to counter descriptive tendencies in post-conceptual art using gothic and grotesque principles
  • Featured works by Markéta Othová, Daniela Baráčková, Michal Pěchouček, Marek Meduna, Sláva Sobotovičová, Roman Štětina, Ivan Svoboda, and Pavel Sterec
  • Included photographs, textual works, film strips, sculpture, video, and sound installation
  • Curatorial text questioned art's role in the 21st century and audience engagement
  • Review published on ARTMargins Online on May 21, 2010

Entities

Artists

  • Václav Magid
  • Markéta Othová
  • Daniela Baráčková
  • Michal Pěchouček
  • Marek Meduna
  • Sláva Sobotovičová
  • Roman Štětina
  • Ivan Svoboda
  • Pavel Sterec
  • Aloysius Bertrand

Institutions

  • Center for Contemporary Art Futura
  • Art Institute in Chicago
  • ARTMargins Online

Locations

  • Prague
  • Czech Republic
  • Chicago
  • United States

Sources