An international jury nominated six artists for the 19th edition of the leading Czech award for visual artists under 35. The collective exhibition was held at the House of the Lords of Kunštát of the Brno House of Arts.
Finalists
The finalists of the 19th edition of Jindřich Chalupecký Award in 2008 included Radim Labuda, Zbyněk Baladrán, Jiří Skála, Ondřej Brody, Tomáš Moravec and Evžen Šimera.
Award Holder
Jindřich Chalupecký Award 2008 went to Radim Labuda. “Radim Labuda’s works combine a personal dimension and art historical references. Moreover, they are free from sexual stereotypes that are often inherent in contemporary art,” said Charlotta Kotik. The award holder received CZK 100.000 for an exhibition, publication or a creative project of his choice and an international residency.
Jury
The head of the jury was German art historian and curator Susanne Altmann. The jury further included American curator and critic Elizabeth Grady, who has worked for New York’s MoMA among others, curator and co-founder of Display Gallery Ondřej Chrobák, curator of Billboart Gallery Europe Mira Keratová, former rector of the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague Pavel Liška, painter Jan Merta, and curator and director of the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw Joanna Mytkowska.
Exhibition
The collective exhibition Jindřich Chalupecký Award – Final 2008 was held at the House of the Lords of Kunštát of the Brno House of Arts. The show was curated by Tomáš Pospiszyl. “Labuda presented a performance of five volunteers who were hogtied on mats, experiencing a tension between sexual desire and violence. The visitors could use a computer to connect with a Filipino student who offers erotic services on Skype as a side hustle. This time, however, he was hired by Labuda to just talk to people,” iDnes wrote in 2008.
Award Ceremony
The award ceremony of the 19th edition of Jindřich Chalupecký Award was held at the Brno House of Arts in 2008. The award was presented by Austrian actionist Hermann Nitsch. The recording of the award ceremony can be streamed on Artyčok TV: http://artycok.tv/462/jindrich-chalupecky-award-ceremony-2008