Anglo-American University in Prague AAU Student & Teacher Take Part in International Art Symposium
Visual arts student Anya Blanka and lecturer Jana Babincová were recently invited to participate in the 2024 Art Dialog–Interspaces international symposium. The biennial event was organized by the Klenová Gallery and held at the historic Klenová chateau and granary in western Bohemia, from September 16 to September 28, 2024.
Blanka, who is in her final semester of the Visual Arts Studies program, was personally selected by Babincová to take part in the symposium, after the latter received an invitation to join in the event with the student of her choosing. Babincová knew something of Blanka having taught her in her Abstract Art course last year and believed the symposium would benefit the young artist.
“I remembered her as talented, reflective, passionate about art, and also reliable. As a [fellow] artist and teacher, I wanted to support her future career and expand her creative process,” she explained.
The goal of the event was to was to encourage participants to engage in a dialogue with the natural and cultural context of the Western Bohemian region, while exploring the influence of recent trends on the formal aspects of contemporary art. To this end, participants employed multiple types of media and worked with a variety of locally-sourced materials to produce innovative pieces that reflect the interplay between nature and art.
The symposium was co-organized by New York-based artist Tom Kotík and sculptor Adéla Matasová, whom Babincová called “one of the most important living Czech artists.” Blanka expressed awe at being able to work alongside such personages as these.
“I’m very honored to be here. It feels surreal to turn off everyday responsibilities for two weeks and create art with like minded individuals. It is such a privilege,” she reflected. “These are figures who are superstars in the art world, and I’m here with them. I can’t wrap my brain around it.”
This year, the symposium welcomed schools from both sides of the Atlantic, including AAU, Indiana University Bloomington; the Academy of Arts, Architecture, and Design (Prague); the Academy of Fine Arts (Prague); and Ostrava University. This marked the second time AAU had been invited to participate.
The symposium concluded with the opening of an exhibition of the participants’ work, which will remain on display at Klenová Gallery from September 28 to October 31, 2024. A catalog of their final works will also be published.
For more information on the 2024 Art Dialog–Interspaces international symposium and exhibition, visit the Klenová Gallery website. To learn more about the program that got Blanka and Babincová invited to the symposium, go here or have a look at the video below.