Igor Kalný (1957-1987) ranks among strong authors of the so-called unofficial visual art stage from the end of the 1970s till the end of the 1980s. Even though the period of his artistic activities was short (just a single decade), he fully dedicated it to art and left an important heritage in terms of number of works and their significance, a living message that is also relevant to today’s viewers. Igor Kalný was a member of the younger generation but nevertheless became a companion of authors belonging to so-called analytical art (Milan Bočkay, Marián Mudroch, Igor Minárik and others). His means of expression and medium was drawing of various forms, including meditational, precisely-built patterns of his drawing structures, stamp-like drawings (referring to Orwell’s Animal Farm), dynamic geometric drawings, drawing the contours of items of everyday use and large size records made by drawing contours of his own body in gesture positions, at the edge of action art and body art. The title of the exhibition symbolically refers to the 30 years of the artist’s life and the 30 years that mark his early departure this year. It is a representative probe into the artist’s works and captures the dialogue between play and existential tension.

Daniela Čarná, curator

Photo: Peter Chvostek