How to talk to your dog about life in America / Regular Line Topoľčany - San Francisco

Regular Line (RL) is an international programme for Slovak artists to present their work and collaborate with local artists abroad (Europe, USA). It’s run by the Slovak Art organisation Platform 1-12 (Nastupiste 1-12). Platform 1-12 runs a multimedia space for contemporary art and culture in the underpass beneath the bus station of Topolcany, Slovakia. This unusual, urban gallery space offers to create and exhibit site-specific artworks and sustains dialogue between artists and non-traditional gallery viewers.

Wonderfully, I was selected by Platform 1-12 to take part in a three-week residency program in San Francisco, California. The international collaborative program was then presented by The Laundry SF space and curated by Zuzana Godálová from Platform 1-12, Topoľčany. 
Alongside four other Slovak artists and designers I spent three weeks in USA and created a series of drawings called "How to talk to your dog about life in America" that were later exhibited at The Laundry, San Francisco in the Mission District. The collection is a selection ripped off of my drawn diary that I kept during the stay reflecting the Tenderloin district with people living rough next to the apartments with the highest rents in the US, the tech bros pushing out original residents, and the breeze of freshness and realness I encountered in some underground Castro bars. 
The show was on from May 13 - May 30 2017

Read more about Nastupiste 1-12
Laundry SF space in San Francisco

Polokoro čávo @ Diera do sveta

Sú také okamihy a veci, ktoré nás znekľudňujú. Srdce sa nám zovrie v hrudi a v žalúdku cítime tvrdé rany. Vtedy sa dozvedáme, že minulosť nie je mŕtva a trpezlivo čaká v temných chodbách našich životov na to, kedy pôjdeme okolo, aby na nás žmurkla, hoc aj jedným okom, jak ten polokoro čávo z podniku naproti škole.

Diera do sveta ("A window into the world") is a cultural centre in the Liptov region. From Diera do sveta's website: "Our centre is at the beginning of a long journey of becoming a pulsing spot on the cultural and art map. We want to support local producers and artists and would like to bring something that is lacking in Liptov - not only good literature, but also new visions regarding meeting up and learning. We aim to engage the attention of children and set up regular readings for them and try to cultivate their personalities."

Impressed by the centre's activities, I prepared a collection of small dimension works that would fit in their multi-purpose space. All drawings are about moments and things that make us nervous, when hearts feel sore in our chests and there's a certain hardness in our stomach. Then we learn that the past is not dead and yet patiently waits in the dark corridors of our lives for the moment when we walk past to blink at us, even with one eye, like the half-blind chav from the bar across the road.

opening April 21 at 6pm

Show is on until June 23

link Diera do sveta / find out more about the space