19/09–10/11/2023
“Sprouting bone” – 47 x 12 x 7 cm – oiled european walnut – © František Svatoš
Tadeáš Podracký (*1989) is a Czech artist working at the intersection of fine art and design. He is a graduate of the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague, as well as the Design Academy in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. He conceives his works as intricate explorations of form and material, pushing and even transcending the boundaries of design objects into the realm of fine art. Consequently, his works are more akin to complex sculptural pieces that, through their surface, camouflage their original utilitarian function like mimics. This hybridity is also apparent in Podracký’s perception and approach to the design of objects, which he first deconstructs and then reconstructs/exposes in a way that leaves only a hint of their original purpose. His sources of inspiration lie in the canonized shapes, materials, and patterns of art and design history, which he approaches from a different perspective, thereby unsettling the viewer’s eye.
“Bark and Veins” – 200 x 50 x 50 cm – birch plywood, color coatings, wax, spruce wood elements, oxidazed american walnut details – © František Svatoš
In the exhibition “The Bloom of Bones,” Tadeáš Podracký explores how the hybridization of rituals from traditional folk culture, historically linked to pagan and Christian mythologies, and their performance in the urbanized context of the city intersect with the identity shaped by contemporary material culture. Through experimenting with the narrative potential of myth as a medium for a deeper connection between objects and people, he has created a series of five new works that offer an alternative perspective on the human environment. Primarily, he investigates how new contemporary mythologies and artifacts can enhance rootedness, interconnectedness, and a sense of belonging as a result of the exchange between objects and people. The central motif around which the entire exhibition revolves is a sculptural relief representing the personification of death in the form of a skeleton, which rejuvenates and becomes adorned with human and floral details. This transformation connects the entire exhibition and permeates author-conceived everyday objects, where human anatomical details merge with organic botanical elements, blurring the boundaries between a living body and an inanimate object. In the gallery space, Podracký creates an environment where he hints at the possibility of an intimate connection between objects and people, seeking to present a different understanding of how these artifacts influence their surroundings, including their ability to create and deepen situations and social bonds.
“Tree of Otherness” – 82 x 40 x 40 cm – colored and waxed plywood, wood, plastics, color coatings – © Tomáš Brabec
Tadeáš Podracký’s works have been exhibited at numerous international trade fairs focusing on applied arts, as well as in galleries and institutions, including Chamber Gallery New York, Design Miami Basel, FOG San Francisco, Maison et Objet Paris, Mint Gallery London, Mudac Museum Lausanne, Designblok Prague, Salone del Mobile Milano, and London Design Festival. He has received several international awards, including the “Czech Grand Design” in the Discovery of the Year category and the “AD Design Award Germany” for “Vintage Reloaded.” He is represented by Side gallery in Barcelona, and since 2023, he has been co-leading the K.O.V. (Concept – Object – Meaning) studio at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague, alongside Romana Drdová.
“Night” – 52 x 42 x 15 cm – chared plywood, oxidazed american walnut, wax – © František Svatoš