Petr Nikl: Playing for Time 23. 11. 2013 – 23. 3. 2014

Petr Nikl’s thematic retrospective exhibition Playing for Time looks at the phenomena of time and memory, both of which are long-term elements in his work. Spanning nearly thirty years of his artistic career, the exhibition follows the evolution of these phenomena and the various forms they have taken in all important areas of Nikl’s art.

The result is a multilayered exploration of time as one of Nikl’s main subjects. His interpretation of this subject involves more than the interplay of various two- and three-dimensional means of expression; his work is also characterized by the use of light and shadow, fiction and reality, and movement and stability. The exhibition is divided into two main labyrinths, within which the various groups of works unfold independently from one another. Besides paintings, visitors can also see small-scale drawings, prints, objects, and photographs, as well as interactive installations that change form over time. The aim of the exhibition is to encourage viewers’ imagination and free associations. Additionally, the gallery will host regular audio-visual music performances in which Petr Nikl and invited guests will work with the phenomenon of flowing time and with the unique space of the Municipal Library. The exhibited works will be a part of these performances.

Outside the gallery, the Archa Theatre will present I Am Your Bunny, a continuously evolving play about time. The exhibition is also explored in Nikl’s book Playing for Time, published by Arbor vitae.