Utopia and Visions from Eastern Europe

Jan Vasilko
Utopia and Visions from Eastern Europe

For a long time Vasilko's painting tended towards a unique creative program rooted in the romantic enthusiasm for production and agricultural machinery, various mechanisms, production halls and robots. In Vasilko's paintings "mechanisms" fulfill the function of the heroes of the story. They are carriers of the ideological or philosophical messages and symbols. The important moment is the absurdity in the "Frankenstein role exchange" between a human being and his creation - an inanimate mechanical object. Within this transformation process, the author constantly plays with a classical iconography while using its formal content dogma. His personal version of the painting coincides with its technically pure leitmotif basis. Here, an extremely clear handwriting, geometrically exact lines and clear areas dominate, creating bright compositions and a more restrained color scheme. His most recent works are more graphic in nature. The paintings become almost monochromatic and rely predominantly on linear relationships. Peter Králik, artist

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JAN VASILKO

1979 born in Humenne, SK
1995-1999 Higher School of Fine Arts (Graphic Arts)
2000-2005 Faculty of Arts, University of Kousiciach
Studio of fine arts, Prof. Sikora
2004 Studio of contemporary art. V.Skrepla, AVU Praha
2005 Winner of the Oskar Cepan Award
Scholarship New York

Exhibitions (selection)

2009
Zlinsky salon mladych, Zlin, CZ
Prague Biennale 4, Karlin Hall, Prag, CZ

2008 
Siemens_artLab, Re:Place, Wien, A
Ideal City, Subteren Galerie, Michalovce, CZ
Einzelausst. Kulturpark Kosice, CZ

2007 
Strana Zeleznych oslavuje Nitra Gallery with P. Kralik, SK
Young artists from East Europe, Gallery Prague, CZ
Contemporary Slovak Painting, Wannieck Gallery, Brno, Cz
Potulky Porurym, City Gallery, Miskolc, H
Replace, Siemens ArtLab, with T. Dzadon and B. Klimova, Vienna, A
Bienale Skuter J., Koniarek Gallery, Trnava, SK
Viennafair, Vienna, A
Na vyjimky nove, Wannieck Gallery, Brno, CZ

2006 
Studie utopickych vezi,  Mirbach Palace City Gallery, Bratislava, SK
Man Hero Spirit Machine, Galeria Medium, Bratislava, SK
Kingkong hral v Honkongu pingpong  Museum V. Loffler, Kosice, SK
Bienale Mladych, Zlin, CZ

2005 
Strana Zeleznych,  AM 180 Gallery, Prague, CZ

2005
Final of Oskar Cepan award, Palffy Palace, Bratislava, SK
Final of Jindrich Chalupecky award, City Gallery, Prague, CZ

2008
East of Eden, Karlin Studios, Prag, CZ
VSG, Kosice, CZ
CZ-SK mlada malba, Wannieck Galerie, Brünn, CZ

2007
Einzelausst. Nitra Galerie, CZ 
Young artists from East Europe, Galerie Prag, CZ
Contemporary Slovak Painting, Wannieck Galerie, Brünn, CZ
City Galerie Miskolc, CZ
Replace, Siemens ArtLab, mit T. Dzadon and B. Klimova, Wien, A
Bienale Skuter, J. Koniarek Gallerie, Trnava, SK
Viennafair, Wien, A
Na vyjimky nove, Wannieck Galerie, Brünn, CZ

2006
Mirbach Palais, Stadtgalerie Bratislava, SK
Man Hero Spirit Machine, Galeria Medium, Bratislava, SK
Kingkong hral v Honkongu pingpong, Museum V. Loffler, Kosice, SK
Bienale Mladych Zlin, CZ

2005 
Strana Zeleznych,  AM 180 Galerie, Prag, CZ

2005
Finalisten Oskar Cepan award, Palffy Palace, Bratislava, SK
Jindrich Chalupecky award, City Galerie, Prag, CZ