The exhibition JURČAOVÁ is dedicated to the life and work of Joseph Jurča, a Trnava-based artist and educator, marking the 100th anniversary of his birth this March.*
However, the exhibition does not aim to provide a comprehensive retrospective overview of his entire body of work. Instead, its goal is to offer a fresh, revisionist perspective on Jurča—one that expands beyond his individual biography to reflect more broadly on the figure of the “man–sculptor” active in the society of post-war Czechoslovakia in the second half of the 20th century.
For a more nuanced understanding of this phenomenon, the exhibition intentionally extends beyond the field of sculpture—as the title suggests—to include the figure of Vlasta, Jurča’s life partner. From there, it moves toward other women who were closely present throughout much of his life and who played a significant role in shaping his personal and professional identity.
A central place among these women is given to the exhibition’s guest, the sculptor’s granddaughter, Barbora Jurčová, who has also pursued a path in the visual arts and is currently studying intermedia at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava.
The exhibition project was developed in collaboration with a broader creative team composed of students—predominantly women—from Trnava University.
We believe that a critical, feminist, and contextual approach to Joseph Jurča’s life and work can help redefine certain concepts and terms within the art history of the latter half of the 20th century—or perhaps even open space for entirely new ones.
