Jan Švankmajer: Unnatural Histories

The filmmaker, assemblage artist, graphic artist, and poet Jan Švankmajer is one of the most influential Czech artists of the present day. He has gained international recognition for his surrealist works of various genres, which he has been creating since the 1950s. In particular, his films, often executed in stop-motion technique, have attracted considerable attention, and many renowned filmmakers, including Terry Gilliam of Monty Python and Tim Burton, call Švankmajer a major influence. It was also his filmmaking which led to a ban from working in his home country, the former communist-ruled Czechoslovakia, in the 1970s. The combination of disparate materials characteristic of Švankmajer's surrealist films can also be found in his objects, which are reminiscent of taxidermy, and his collages.

The comprehensive exhibition at the Kebbel-Villa is Švankmajer's first show in the Upper Palatinate. The chosen exhibits – objects, prints, assemblages, and films – deal with the theme of nature or the artistic reception of nature by Jan Švankmajer.

Last edited on 28.05.2025