An international jury nominated six artists for the 15th edition of the leading Czech award for visual artists under 35. The collective exhibition was held at the Brno House of Arts.
Finalists
The finalists of the 15th edition of Jindřich Chalupecký Award in 2004 included Ján Mančuška, Zbyněk Baladrán, Isabela Grosseová, Jana Kalinová, Rafani and Jiří Skála. The Rafani art group, active since 2001, included Jiří Franta, Marek Matějka (died in 2011), Marek Meduna, Petr Motejzlík and Luděk Rathouský. They were the first art group to be nominated for the Award.
Award Holder
Jindřich Chalupecký Award 2004 went to Ján Mančuška. “In his work, Mančuška simulates the rather weird Czech DIY practices. He uses mismatched objects to build new compositions and entire interiors, such as a bathtub made of soap. The award for the best artist under 35 has never been presented to such a “difficult” artist. At best, he will display useless furniture or writings on the wall. His goal, however, is to make us take a better look at the world around us,” Lenka Lindaurová wrote for MF DNES in 2004. The award holder received CZK 100.000 for an exhibition, publication or a creative project of his choice and an international residency.
Ján Mančuška died in 2011.
Jury
The head of the jury was art historian and curator Charlotta Kotik who has worked for New York’s MoMA and presided Jindřich Chalupecký Society. The jury further included art historian and teacher Vladimír Beskid, sculptor and photographer Magdalena Jetelová, Swedish curator and teacher Maria Lind, multimedia artist and 1997 Award holder Jiří Příhoda, teacher and art historian Jiří Ševčík, and Australian curator Jonathan Watkins.
Exhibition
The collective exhibition Jindřich Chalupecký Award – Final 2004 was held at the Brno House of Arts.
Award Ceremony
The award ceremony of the 15th edition of Jindřich Chalupecký Award was held at the Brno House of Arts in 2004.