Excavating Darkness

Aiming to break many years of institutional taboos the darkly toned exhibition of Trafó Gallery presents artists, who reflect upon mysticism in a new sensual way. A century ago in the early years of avant-garde, spiritualism was one of the pillars of holistic modernist thought and now it is in the frontline again of young contemporary art. The rise of mysticism comes together with a breakthrough of animism, which resonates with contemporary post-humanism. These phenomena altogether create a new sensual perspective on objects, which is the focal point of the practice of the artists exhibiting now in Trafó.

Trafó presents Pauline Curnier Jardin’s Grotta Profunda, which was exhibited at the central pavilion of the Venice Biennale in 2017 curated by Christine Macel. Curnier Jardin’s extravagant motion picture was shot in the caves of the Pyrennes, and it is inspired by the religious visions of Saint Bernadette Soubirous. The artist often centers her works around historical women and she experiments with different forms of performativity. Anežka Hošková created groundbreaking performative installations in the past years beside her painting practice. She will exhibit textile pieces this time in Trafó featuring her signature symbolic compositions. The Hungarian artist duo Lőrinc Borsos has a permanent interest in the study of black color. The new works of the collective featuring Daniel Hüttler are inspired by the Homunculus of alchemy and the mythological figure of Hermes. Last but not least Szilvia Bolla will surprise everyone with her photographic plexiglass objects leaning towards obscure organic non-figurativity.