Two new exhibitions will open at the Brno House of Arts on Tuesday, 28 April, with a public vernissage at 6pm. The first, 'Distorted Image: Chapters from the Beginnings of Video Art', is an international show examining how artists in Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Hungary from the 1960s to the 1990s manipulated analogue and digital images to question truth in media, featuring experimental films, early animations, and independent video magazines. The second, 'Words of Dalibor Chatrný', is a retrospective marking the centenary of the Czech artist's birth, focusing on his 'word works' that explore language and the interplay between reading and seeing, while retaining painterly qualities.
These exhibitions matter because they bring critical historical perspectives into dialogue with contemporary concerns about image manipulation and truth. 'Distorted Image' addresses a highly relevant topic in today's media landscape, while 'Words of Dalibor Chatrný' celebrates a major Czech artist's legacy, offering insight into conceptual art's intersection with traditional painting. The shows strengthen Brno's cultural offering and highlight Central European art history, drawing attention to regional artistic movements that are often overlooked internationally.