In the cycle of digital prints Touching the Hero the author works with collected objects – relics of Slovak historical figures: Juraj Jánošík, Ľudovít Štúr, Milan Rastislav Štefánik a Alexander Dubček, which are placed in the collections of the Slovak National Museum in Bratislava and Martin...

  

Article Inventory No. F-66/3, F-66/4, F-66/5

Author: Martin Piaček
Title of the Work: From the cycle Touching the Hero (Juraj Jánošík)
Year of Origin: 2007
Technique: digital print
Material: aluminium
Dimensions: 20 x 20 cm
Marked: unmarked

Jánošík’s “valaška” (shepard’s axe), taken from him when they captured him in Klenovec in 1713. He was executed on March 17, 1713 in Liptovský Mikuláš. (from the collection of the Slovak National Museum in Bratislava)

 

Article Inventory No F-66/9, F-66/10
Author: Martin Piaček
Title of the Work: From the cycle Touching the Hero (Ľudovít Štúr)
Year of Origin: 2007
Technique: digital print
Material: aluminium
Dimensions: 20 x 20 cm
Marked: unmarked

Pellets, which Ľudovít Štúr shot himself with, during the hunt in Modra on December 22, 1855.Three weeks later he died of the injury. His pelvis bone is attached as evidence. (from the collections of the Slovak National museum in Martin)

 

   

Inventory Article No. F-66/6, F-66/7, F-66/8

Author: Martin Piaček
Title of the Work: From the cycle Touching the Hero (M.R. Štefánik)
Year of Origin: 2007
Technique: digital print
Material: aluminium
Dimensions: 20 x 20 cm
Marked: unmarked

A pilot uniform of general Milan Rastislav Štefánik from the site of the accident in Vajnory of May 4, 1919. (from the collections of the Slovak National Museum in Bratislava)

 

Article Inventory No. F-66/1, F-66/2

Author: Martin Piaček
Title of the work: From the cycle Touching the Hero (Alexander Dubček)
Year of Origin: 2007
Technique: digital print
Material: aluminium
Dimensions: 20 x 20 cm
Marked: unmarked

 A suit of Alexander Dubcek, who died in a tragic car accident on November 7, 1992 in Prague. (from the collections of the Slovak National Museum in Bratislava)

 

In the cycle of digital prints Touching the Hero the author works with collected objects – relics of Slovak historical figures: Juraj Jánošík, Ľudovít Štúr, Milan Rastislav Štefánik a Alexander Dubček, which are placed in the collections of the Slovak National Museum in Bratislava and Martin. In photographs, which document the artist’s action, the author, in white gloves, ceremoniously touches objects, which are linked to fatal life events of these men – important figures of Slovak national history. It is not only a well-known Jánošík’s “valaška“ (shepard’s axe) but he takes into his hands the pellets that Ľudovít Štúr shot himself with in his leg and that caused his death, but also a pilot uniform of Milan Rastislav Štefánik and the jacket of Alexander Dubček, which they wore in the moment of their tragic accidents. Those are objects that are directly linked to their tragic deaths and through them these personalities acquire the aura of martyrs. In the act of touching the authentic historical objects, which are connected to death and which are institutionally protected, the author opens up several problems. On one hand he works with a very intimate and emotive sphere and he points to the figures of national heroes as vulnerable and mortal beings that only later in the course of history became national symbols. On the other hand his white protective gloves commonly used when collected objects are handled with signify an exact, almost scientific approach. Their ceremonial use, however, can also evoke admiration, respect and piety. In this work the author, as it is typical for him, puts together two distinct strategies. On one hand he works with the public opinion (the four personalities are based on results of a survey conducted by the SME daily some time ago) and the collected objects are treated with impersonal approach, on the other hand his critical revisionism is latently present.

Martin Piaček appeared in the art scene after the year 2000 when he finished his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava. His works are characteristic for blending the private with the public. His artistic programme focuses on the exploration of collective national and individual identity, and the realm where these two merge together. He focuses on the individual rewriting of national history and its relativization as well as the reflection of topical cultural and social topics. Although it is characteristic for him to work with different media and he stylistically moves between digital prints, objects to performances and their recordings in video or photography, the author pays close attention to the selection of suitable material. He often works with traditional sculpture genres (such as bust) and uses materials such as wood, bronze, marble. This can be explained by his education in sculpture. He believes it is important to bring into the contemporary sculpture new authorial approaches (chalk rubbed wood-carving, etched marble and so on).

Martin Piaček  was born on February 18, 1972 in Bratislava. Between 1994-2000 he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava in the studios supervised by professor Juraj Bartusz and professor Jozef Jankovič. He extended his education in the multimedia studio Akademia sztuk pieknych in Krakow (1997), in experimental studios at Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam (1998). In 2008 he earned his PhD. degree. Since 2007 he has been teaching subjects such as Stone, Wood, Plastic Materials, Space I at the Department of Sculpture, Object and Installation, and the Department of Intermedia and Multimedia. He participated in a number of collective and authorial exhibitions. His most recent solo exhibition Martin Piaček – Nesamozrejmý syn in Central Slovak Gallery (Stredoslovenská galéria) in Banská Bystrica (2012) presents in a complex way his works from the period of 2006 – 2012.

Barbora Geržová

This acquisition has been supported using public funds provided by the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic.