From Arid landscapes to Ancient waters - curatorial text

Lucie Kordačová a Miroslava Večeřová

Curator: Lýdia Pribišová

See photos from the exhibition here

Artists Lucie Kordačová and Miroslava Večeřová will transform FOR MAAT gallery in Trenčín into a magical space, in which they will delve into ancient mythologies, rituals and astrology. The exhibition will reflect current ecofeminism which calls for a reconnection with nature through a collective caring for the environment.

Kordačová and Večeřová focus on ancient storytelling traditions - stories that speak about the cultural significance of water and the influence that nature has on society. They explore the relationship of water to terrestrial and celestial bodies, linking water to thinking, the unconscious and memories, considering the emotional connections between humans, other life forms and species, and the earth.

This exhibition follows on from the Arid Landscapes and Ancient Waters residency at GLOAM Gallery in Sheffield, UK, which took place on Hromnice, 2nd February 2024. Here the artists focused on linking different traditions of welcoming the sun and its life-giving energy and rituals celebrating the arrival of spring. The performance created during the residency was inspired by the sun's journey around the smaller stars of the constellation Aries. It includes a song performed by a singer which is based on the Slovak folk song Na jarný veselý čas (translated as For The Blooming Spring), which welcomes the Sun and tells the story about its migration across the sky. Through this interpretation the artists also reflect on their own identity as migrants living in the UK.

 In the exhibition, the artists present a two-channel video, projected onto fabric, which is based on the live performance Arietis Sisters and the Sun, that took place on the seaside at Electro Studio Project Space in St. Leonards-on-Sea, UK. In addition to this, the exhibition consists of objects and large-scale prints on textiles. In Arietis Sisters and the Sun, various ritual elements intertwine, evoking the interconnectedness of the ocean ecosystem with thousands of years of astrological tradition. Symbolic gestures and dance mimic the movement of the tides, celestial bodies, recalling the interconnectedness of human life with the cycles of the Earth as well as other cosmic bodies. The performance was based on various ideological and visual associations with the constellation of Aries, with an emphasis on the equinox period when the Sun passes from the sign of Pisces into the sign of Aries.

The artists delved into the themes of rising sea levels due to the environmental emergency, exploring the coastal landscape, its flora and fauna, as well as associated myths and legends. The worship of water is almost as old as humanity itself. Our bodies are largely made of water, which is constantly transforming and returning to other bodies of water, so in many ways human bodies are barely separable from the numerous other bodies of water we interact and immerse ourselves within. By diving into the watery depths, we can find ways to reshape the understandings of our myriad worlds.

Lucie Kordačová was born in Mlada Boleslav in Czechia, she lives and works in Sheffield, UK. Her largely collaborative practice takes the form of site-specific installations, sculptures, moving image and performance. She works with textile and costumes and often collaborates with artists and choreographers. In her work she explores methods of collaboration, and issues that are pertinent to the communities she works within, including the human and more-than-human landscapes, and she studies human relationships with nature. Lucie studied Fashion and Textile Design at J.E Purkyne University in Ústí nad Labem, Animation at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Porto, Intermedia at the Academy of Fine Art and Design in Bratislava and Film at the South London Gallery’s ReCreative Film School.

Miroslava Večeřová was born in Prague, Czechia and now lives on the coast of the English Channel in the United Kingdom. Her newest projects are inspired by astrology and mythology with a focus on the earth elements anchored predominantly in the coastal environment. Themes such as cyclicality, healing, reciprocity and the softening of boundaries between the human and non-human worlds are an important aspect of her work, which engages with ecological themes. She studied Fine Art at the Academy of Arts and Crafts in Prague, Photography at Camberwell College of Arts in London and Dance and Movement Psychotherapy at Goldsmiths University.