Intersections; Art Prague, Manes Gallery, Prague 2010

Art Prague is an annual art fair in Prague. I don’t frequent galleries often, nor do I trust art dealers and curators, and I had never been interested in such a thing as an art fair before. Petr Hajek from the Chemistry knew that I have been making paintings recently and by coincidence I had already exhibited in his gallery on two occasions. He called me and asked if I would like to put something up in Art Prague but I really wasn’t up for it at all. In a way I fear to go out on a limb. I value my stuff a lot and I doubt that others see it in the same way. I have been working on a series of paintings which I want to present all together next July in an exhibition at my home venue Trafacka. Somehow, Hajek knows how to deal with me, so I eventually agreed to give him one painting. A week before the official opening I painted a double picture and hung it on the wall in the most hidden corner of the gallery, where Chemistry had their stall. I didn’t expect it to be such a success, not only did I sell the painting before the actual opening but I also won the main prize awarded to young talents and the smaller picture got sold shortly afterwards. I regret a bit not making it to the prize awards but I don’t like exhibition openings and I didn’t even know prizes were going to be awarded. Had I known that, I still wouldn’t have been on time anyway, as my secret ambition to win would have been killing me and I wouldn’t have wanted to be disappointed. Anyway, it is cool to earn money for a second hand car just by selling a single picture. Especially if the day before you aren’t even sure how to pay the next rent. Thanks for that, Petr.