About this Event
Eva Kmentová (1928–1980), one of Czechoslovakia's most prolific and renowned female sculptors, lived for many years with a severe chronic condition that deeply influenced both her life and work. However, in local art historical and curatorial reflections on her oeuvre, this complex experience is often relegated to a mere footnote. When it is addressed, it is typically interpreted as either a tragic misfortune that cut her life short before she could "properly conclude her oeuvre," a transcendental experience that adds "existential depth" to her work, or a heroic act ("working despite the illness") that contributes to her personal mythology.
This talk seeks to offer a more nuanced reading of Kmentová’s work in the context of chronic illness by juxtaposing the aforementioned art historical interpretations with the artist’s own self-perceptions, self-narratives, and self-representations, as recorded in her visual and written diaries.
Additionally, the talk will re-examine some of her works through the lens of critical disability studies. On a broader scale, this case study will highlight problematic art historical and curatorial constructions, representations, and narratives of artists’ lives and oeuvres (such as talent, artistic genius, etc.), and propose a shift away from these categories toward a more inclusive, less ableist curatorial and art theoretical practice.
Zuzana Jakalová is an assistant professor at the Department of Art Theory and History at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Brno University of Technology. She has served as a curator of public programs at the Gallery of the City of Bratislava, the residency program at MeetFactory, and at Prádelna Bohnice, an art space and gallery located within a psychiatric hospital on the outskirts of Prague. She has also worked with Display, an association focused on research and collective practice in Prague.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Bohemian National Hall, 321 East 73rd Street, New York, United States
USD 0.00
