Opening: October 28, 2025, 6 p.m.
Curator: Alexandra Tamásová
Exhibition duration: October 29, 2025 – February 22, 2026
Alžbetina 22, Košice
Lucia Dovičáková paints life itself. Her themes develop naturally over time, drawing upon whatever is going on in her inner world, her family or in society as a whole. Although she is often seen as the enfant terrible of the Slovak art scene, she herself does not aim to shock or rebel. Instead, she offers authentic reflections on that which she sees as important at any given moment. In her most recent work, she mixes autobiographical motifs with social topics, addressing the issues of loneliness, male-female relationships, family matters and the OnlyFans phenomenon. Grotesque forms are applied to form a delicate yet effective balance between horror and humour which simultaneously encapsulates the depth and complexity of the issue. However, Dovičáková is by no means a moralist; she simply draws our attention to that which we typically overlook.
From the very beginning of her artistic career, Dovičáková’s work has been marked by a preoccupation with women and their experiences, contrasting this with the demands which society imposes upon them. Within this context, male characters are allotted a secondary role – they are primarily defined in terms of the relationships which they have with women. While the female figures typically feature elements of self-portraits, the men are left largely anonymous, with their specific identities rendered irrelevant. Perhaps unintentionally, Dovičáková overturns the centuries-old power structure which is manifested through the genre of the female nude. Throughout the history of art, the female body has most commonly taken the form of a naked model, typically depicted as a passive object (both sexually and artistically) of the male painter. Although Dovičáková also paints female nudes, the women in her paintings are clearly fully-fledged beings with their own emotions, desires and initiative; indeed, her works often parody the concept of patriarchal eroticism.
Dovičáková’s latest exhibition presents a series of paintings inspired by the phenomenon of OnlyFans – a platform on which people can offer erotic services of various kinds for financial gain. The most successful performers on the platform are, as Lucia Dovičáková has observed, young women who present themselves as virginal teenagers. Their fans and patrons are overwhelmingly middle-aged married men. While many condemn the OnlyFans phenomenon on various grounds, others have highlighted the fact that the platform grants women a sense of control over their situation, with performers themselves determining the nature of their content and the fees which they charge. Dovičáková does not seek to moralize with her work, choosing instead to express her own complex emotions and doubts. The motif of the eroticized young woman recalls the artist’s earlier work, more specifically her diploma work in which she recast models from pornographic magazines into grotesque forms. Also apparent is the artist’s fascination with the bodies of young women, the raw material of the pornography industry, and more specifically her use of subversion to distort and nullify the archetypal dynamics of the trope. In her recent paintings, the explicitly sexual positions of women are complemented with unreadable male figures; depicted as empty suits, they are physically present yet oddly absent. Their collars form a halo over the heads of the women, seemingly granting a sense of “sanctity” to the proceedings.
The second part of the exhibition consists of works offering a more intimate, autobiographical expression, several of which touch upon the home and relationships with loved ones. The child is key here: even divorced parents can overcome their psychic wounds and cooperate for the sake of their children, and it is the singular existence of her child which gives a mother the strength to keep on going, even in her darkest moments. Yet there are also lighter notes – for example, a delightfully destructive parrot who brings a touch of humour to the exhibition.
Although the works are inspired by her own personal experiences, Dovičáková aptly captures the emotions which are familiar to many women. Regardless of the advances of feminism, the world continues to force us into restrictive roles, placing demands upon us which inevitably lead to a seemingly constant awareness of our own failings. Dovičáková depicts these tensions through metaphor, often referring to elements of violence, not necessarily physical in nature; blows which often arise from within us, and which we direct at ourselves.
In addition to anxiety and sadness, the artist also explores the topic of desire, either unfulfilled or otherwise. The surreal erotic scenes confront these emotions directly; for example, the image of a man growing with a woman, grass emerging from his skin, his penis a towering tree. In contrast to the OnlyFans paintings, the man is not depicted here as a predator; conversely, he offers support and delight, a place in which we can find repose, perhaps even put down roots.
The exhibition showcases Dovičáková’s use of both oil paintings and watercolours; although the paintings share the same conceptual framework, the watercolour technique allows the artist to apply light and airy brushwork in contrast to the layered nature of “dirty” painting. They reveal yet another unexpected turn in Dovičáková’s artistic journey, a path which is as unpredictable as life itself. So, what exactly will she be cooking tomorrow?
Dear visitors,
Please note that certain artworks in the XY exhibition feature nudity and violent imagery. We recommend considering whether this exhibition is appropriate for minors and sensitive viewers.
Thank you for your understanding.
The realisation of the works was supported using public funding in the form of a scholarship by the Slovak Arts Council.
