26 May - 15 July 2023
opening: 5/25/2023 from 18:00
UM Gallery, UMPRUM, nám. Jana Palacha 80, Prague 1
Open: Mon-Sat 10am-6pm
How did studying at the Academy of Art, Architecture, and Design in Prague (UMPRUM) influence students from countries like Japan, Colombia, or Australia, and what impact did their presence reciprocally have on the school? In reflecting on those questions, the VAvoomvoom! exhibition will commemorate almost two decades of the existence of the Visual Arts (VA) master’s degree program in English at UMPRUM. A curated selection from the nearly one hundred graduates will present the legacy of Visual Arts in many diverse media, from glass to performance.
UMPRUM founded the Visual Arts program in 2006, offering students the opportunity to earn their master’s degree in art and design in English at the school. This was done with the dual intentions of offering UMPRUM’s expertise in the fine and applied arts to the wider world and of simultaneously opening the school’s doors to outside influence. In the nearly two decades since, those two goals have largely been met and, with the increased numbers of students enrolled, the positive impact of the program on the wider school environment is more and more evident.
Therefore, looking back over the past years and evaluating the work done so far is the intention of this comprehensive exhibition. The presentation of works of selected Visual Arts graduates will represent a small sample of the diverse personalities, nationalities, creative approaches, and friendly spirits of the VA alumni. The pieces on display will be made up of a wide range of genres, techniques and media, from both the fine and applied arts.
A hallmark of the Visual Arts program over the years has always been its collaborative spirit. According to Conrad Eric Armstrong (the current VA tutor and also one of its graduates), “During their time in the program, the students divide their efforts between working in their respective fields of study in art and design and taking part in Visual Arts trips, exhibitions, lectures, and workshops. These collective activities allow members of the program to form strong bonds that manifest in both friendship and professional collaboration”. This exhibition then, is a manifestation of the fact that the bonds formed during students’ time in VA can also bear fruit after graduation.
In addition to the exhibited works, the VAvoomvoom! accompanying program will also play an important role in this exhibition. The various scheduled workshops and events will allow attendees to enter into the type of multidisciplinary dialogue that the VA program aims to engender. Indeed, the exhibition architecture (designed by VA graduate Kristin Gravdal [Norway]) has been conceived with this in mind - space will be created not only for exhibited works, but also for seating, performances, and workshops.
Exhibiting graduates of the Visual Arts program:
Luis Guillermo Cerdas (Costa Rica); Çiğdem Çevrim (Turkey); Emel Erdem (Turkey); Sebastián Segura Espinel (Colombia); Ine Harrang (Norway); Jung-Jiea Hung (Taiwan); Yu-Lin Huang (Taiwan); Giselle Olguin Jimenez (Mexico); Saki Matsumoto (Japan); Jimena Elizalde Mendoza (Mexico); Yumiko Ono (Japan); Akira Otsubo (Japan); Yui Ozaki (Japan); Roberto Lucio Fuentes Rangel (Mexico); Jorge Abraham Garcia Razo, (Mexico); Nelson Fernando Echeverría Ruiz (Ecuador); Marta Savignano (Italy); María Andrea Miranda Serna (Colombia); Miyuki Shiotsu (Japan); Kateřina Šachová (Czech Republic); Winnie Tan (Singapore); Ayaka Tajiri (Japan); Jonne Väisänen (Finland); David Yule (Australia); Byoung Chan Yun (Korea).
Performance/workshops:
Chloé Célia Elsa Burkiewicz (France); Luis Guillermo Cerdas (Costa Rica); Sebastián Segura Espinel (Colombia); Abhishek Choudhary (India); Jena Jang (Korea); David Yule (Australia).
Curatorial team:
Conrad Eric Armstrong (USA), Hana Smělá (CZ), Saki Matsumoto (Japan), Jimena Mendoza (Mexico)
Graphic Design:
Christian Bulmahn (Germany)
Exhibition architecture:
Kristin Jermstad Gravdal (Norway)
