The exhibition by one of the most prominent representatives of contemporary painting features a series of large-format works from 2018-2020, which have not yet been shown to the general public. Painter Vladimír Houdek draws inspiration from the concepts of early 20th-century modernist painters. Geometric forms underscore the central motif of the exhibition—tools and a fascination with technological progress, as well as humanity’s utopian desire for perfection. This series of works on tools forms part of a cohesive thematic cycle, offering an intriguing parallel to the traditional motorcycle races held in Hořice.

Vladimír Houdek (*1984) is part of the younger generation of Czech artists. During his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, he won two prestigious awards for artists under 35: the Critics’ Prize for Young Painting in 2010, and the Jindřich Chalupecký Prize in 2012. He studied painting under Professor Vladimír Skrepl at the Academy of Fine Arts, and later with guest professors Silke Otto-Knapp and Jan Merta at the Šaloun Studio.

Source text: Muzeum Hořice