24. 5. – 9. 6. 2024
Open Studio: 3. 6. 2024
Residency outcome: 8. 6. 2024
Curator and author of the text: Veronika Přikrylová
The main theme of Daniel Nováček’s work, especially his videos from the Reconstruction series which he presented at Pragovka Gallery under the title Reconstruction No. 6, is the search for happiness in a mechanized, algorithmic world. Each of the videos reconstructs and narrates the experiences of the author or his close surroundings.
Daniel reminds us that stories are not only a reflection of the world, but also a key to understanding and transforming it. Storytelling is one of the most common forms of human communication; it is a tool we use to reflect on the present while creating visions of the future. Yet, if we want to use stories as a tool for artistic creation, it is essential to understand the rules governing them.
As part of his residency output, Daniel Nováček organized a workshop called Creative Lying and Falling in Love. It aimed to develop the imagination and skills needed to create stories, whether written, visual, or other forms of art. The workshop was divided into three parts:
1. Getting to Know Each Other
After a guided tour of the Reconstruction No. 6 exhibition where the focus was on the video Reconstruction No. 2: Serotonin, the participants were divided into pairs and got to know each other through a series of 36 questions. These questions, designed by the psychologist Arthur Aron in 1997, aimed to evoke a sense of closeness by sharing personal information.
2. The Lying Course
The participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire beforehand and then engage in a social game where they learned to perceive a story as a form of a lie. This part aimed to show that each story operates in a particular fictional world with its own rules which influence its narrative. Thus, the participants learned how to use the principle of “lying” to make their stories more engaging.
3. The Gonzo Curating
At the end of the workshop, each participant created their own “artwork”. The task was to find an object which is not a work of art within the Pragovka Gallery area and to invent a fictional story about how they created it themselves. The object was not to be manipulated, it was all about the ability to tell a story. The workshop ended with a guided tour of these fictional works, where each participant told their story and presented their own “artwork”.
And what does this teach us? What lies are we willing to accept as true? And what does it say about our desire to believe stories? That we may need some lies—the ones that resonate within us and give our lives meaning—as much as we need the truth?
