Jan Šerých produces a highly diverse body of work. A painter at first, he later – influenced by new media – began working with computers and the internet. Another integral aspect of his abstract and minimalist work is printing. Šerých works with found information that he pulls out of their timeless or virtual context – pictures, images from Google, information, data, symbols, codes and text. Many of these references have multiple meanings, and their meaning and humour deliberately produce a sense of disorientation in the viewer. When we look at Šerých’s works, we can usually decide whether we want to look at them or read them.
The foyer of the Gallery of Modern Art in Hradec Králové hosts Šerých’s installation Black Sabbath / ABBA (2002) from the GMU collections. This piece, which consists of 12 large letters that can be arranged into the name of the famous heavy metal band, has been exhibited at various venues, always in a different form. It was first shown at Prague’s Václav Špála Gallery in 2002. The letters A B B A are loosely propped up against one of the walls in reference to the famous Swedish pop group, while the remaining letters, placed by the opposite wall, overlap to the point that they can only be deciphered if one knows the title of the exhibition. In 2004 in Dresden (Motorenhalle), he exhibited the letters in a jumble so that they more closely resembled a visual object than text. The individual letters thus act like the pieces of a narrative puzzle, as the structural elements of words or an image. Šerých always exhibits the entire set of letters, although each time their arrangement emphasizes a different message. Since he also works as a graphic designer, as we look at his work it is important to notice his choice of typeface, which allows us to read the letters as numbers as well.
The one-syllable word that Šerých has created in the GMU foyer reflects his penchant for working with interjections of ambivalent meaning. It also manifests his current state of mind and his attempt at coming to terms with the richly decorated space, which offers only limited possibilities for artistic expression. His “ach” (“oh”) can thus be understood both positively and negatively.
JAN ŠERÝCH (b. 1972) is a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague (1992–1999), where he studied in several of the school’s studios, including Jiří Lindovský’s graphics studio, new media with Michael Bielický and painting with Vladimír Skrepl, for whom he worked as an assistant in 2014–2020. Along with Ján Mančuška, Tomáš Vaněk and Josef Bolf, he was a member of the Headless Horseman (Bezhlavý jezdec) art group from 1996 to 2002. In addition to his work as a fine artist, he is also active in the field of graphic design, especially poster design, and among other things works as a graphic designer for various publishing houses.
The exhibition was supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic and the Statutory City of Hradec Králové.
