exhibition opening: March 7, 2019 / 6 p.m.
duration: March 8, 2019 – March 31, 2019
East Slovak Gallery, 27 Hlavná 27
The format of short-term exhibitions of art in the East Slovak Gallery is available for those artists who received a grant from the Fund for Arts Support. Richard Roháč is a graduate of the Faculty of Arts in Košice, where he finished the Master’s programme in Free Fine Art (2011) and a Doctoral programme at the Department of Design (2016). His work is characterised by strong expressionistic tendencies and his relaxed brushwork is based on the stratification of lines. The colour scheme features a wide spectrum of shades ranging from bright flamboyant colours to sharp black and white contrasts of a raw drawing on canvas.
The Ego in the Web project is a reaction to the influence of internet and social networks on the everyday life of people in contemporary society, which emphasises the impact of the internet on one’s self-perception within the virtual space. Mirzoeff in his work An Introduction to Visual Culture showed that the life of today is happening on screens. This is reflected not only in the general spreading of the internet and various technological devices that we use on daily basis, but also in the power and influence these technologies have on our lives. The internet opened an infinite space of possibilities of self-expression, self-promotion and communication and introduced new ways for an individual to participate in public life. The virtual space is being filled with new internet websites, articles, blogs, Youtube channels, etc., while they are all interconnected by social networks which enable anyone to enter a discussion, express their opinion or comment on the opinions of other users. On the one hand, discussion has never been this open, unconstrained and on such a wide scale. However, it has also made room for a great amount of virtual smog, various forms of self-stylization, fake profiles, empty words, hateful comments and shallow and ungrounded opinions. People often create a false illusionary self-image, which does not necessarily respond to their real life, and hide behind nicknames or fabricated identities. The internet provides its users with a sensation of security and anonymity which inspires the so-called “haters” to criticise everything and everybody and enhance cyberbullying.
The Ego in the Web project reacts to this situation and reflects it in the form of authorial paintings. The artist’s work is characterised by a critical response to various social issues which are depicted in an expressive and grotesque style. His self-expression is realised in the form of artistic production which at the same time attempts to inspire people to think about the condition and functioning of society and question their own attitudes and lifestyle.
Author of the text: Lívia Flachbartová.
