ALMA MATER PALAESTRA Exhibition

10. 9. - 3. 10. 2021

Palaestra is an association founded in 1999 on the initiative of boxer Jan Balog, junior champion of the Czechoslovakia in 1985. Palaestra means training field or battlefield in Latin, the space where the match takes place according to clearly defined rules. The main purpose of the sports club, located in Trojanova Street in Prague 2, is to enable meaningful spending of time for children from socially disadvantaged families who could not afford to pay the kids any hobby activities.

At the same time, a group is regularly engaged in boxing training here, the core of which consists of visual artists, many of whom fell into boxing in the early 1980s, then in the Pragovka sports club. In recent years, the combination of sports and fine arts has taken the form of exhibitions on the New Town Hall premises in Prague 2.

This year, the Palaestra presents two artists who belong to the veterans of this group, sculptor Vojtìch Adamec and painter Ivan Komárek.

The exhibition is held under the auspices of the mayor of Prague 2, Mgr. Jana Černochová.

Gallery in the ground floor of the New Town Hall

OPEN: Tue-Sun 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

30 mins break between 12 a.m. to 1 p.m.

ENTRY: full 50 CZK, reduced 20 CZK, family 100 CZK

During The EHD: single entrance fee 20 CZK / open daily 10 a.m. - 20 p.m.

VOJTĚCH ADAMEC, b. 1956, Chlumec nad Cidlinou

1972-1976 Secondary School of Sculpture and Stonemasonry in Hoøice

1976 - 1982 Academy of Fine Arts in Prague

Vojtìch Adamec, a sculptor trained, will present not only his sculptures at the exhibition, but his paintings as well. He focuses on the expressively and poetically conceived landscape in which a man moves ike a lone observer, a pilgrim, or a being of the spiritual and mythical worlds. Sometimes he is embodied in the animal form and thus represents an archaic symbol of the primordial connection of human civilization and its (now mostly lost) grounding in the ecological and spiritual balance of nature.

Adamec on boxing: “Boxing is a way of life, a space for human relationships and friendships. It's a rare phenomenon. "

IVAN KOMÁREK, b. 1956, Prague

1972 - 1976 Secondary Vocational School of Fine Arts in Prague

1976 - 1982 Academy of Fine Arts in Prague (Prof. Jan Smetana)

He deals with painting, drawing, collage, graphics (especially lithography), creation of objects, ceramic sculpture and realizations in architecture (wall painting, ceramic tiles, objects made of metal and colored plexiglass laser-cut), he also deals with illustrations and applied work. He lives and works in Prague and Kladno.

For the exhibition, he compiled a collection of new works, paintings on canvas 100x150 cm, which are typical for their plastic language of the human body. The elastic, often grotesque deformations that the human body goes through in his paintings make visible the diverse and ever-changing forms of the "relational landscape" of man. For Ivan, the pictorial area is a scenographically conceived stage, on which interpersonal encounters take place, whether in the field of love or sports.

Komárek on boxing: "Boxing is a naked fight and hurts, but at the same time it strengthens. And I think that brings the benefits to my artistic work."

"I have been meeting Honza Balog since the time in Pragovka in 1980. We took turns training in the gym there. At the time, I had no idea how our path would cross in the future and for how long. In 2000, Honza moved our amateur boxing team Palaestra, which he built, to Americká Street in Vinohrady. It was a happy time for us - the trainings were conducted responsibly and the charm of Honza Balog's personality conquered us. Our friendship continued outside the boxing gym, we started organizing various cultural events. In 2009, Honza was offered a space in Trojanova Street in Prague 2 to build a new gym and the generous space allowed us to increase the number of sports and cultural events. Palaestra has become a platform for all generations, uniting people of different professions and nationalities. I personally come to the Palaestra at least once a week for training. These are pleasant moments as the exercises are necessary and meeting  friends will always please. Many of them are artists and that is why Palaestra presents itself with exhibitions. I like to be a part of it all. ”