Biography
Krištof Kintera (1973) is a Czech artist exploring the boundaries of contemporary sculpture. Kintera’s practice unfolds from public installations to small kinetic devices. What makes his work special is that he despite this obvious catchiness; he is able to make sharp, often intuitive decisions that produce a far more multi-layered experience. This results in poetic images and an ambiguity, notably in his sculptures, in their engagement with main topics of our times.
The artist oeuvre is rooted in the ‘after the wall’ period of the 90’s, a decade of wild capitalisation in Central and Eastern Europe accompanied by aggressive advertising campaigns in the public space. In this period Kintera produced his now famous Appliances series. These beautiful products, sculptures slickly enclosed in commercial packaging have no other goal than to seduce you. These absurd household appliances clearly illustrate the artist’s ability to create sculptures that are iconic works by engaging with the materiality of objects and with issues of ecology and consumption.
After his residency at the Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten in Amsterdam (NL) Kintera’s work has become increasingly communicative and energized; producing pieces that talk, smoke, move, bang and buzz. Simultaneously a shift has taken place in his choice of materials. The materials of his sculptures maintain their physical presence and identity while now being penetrated by other objects.
In Kintera’s world, fragile trees move nervously, affected by the global issues of our time. He avoids this through playful, creative and direct communication with the audience, as well as paradoxical and ambiguous elements in the work.
CV
General
- 1973 Prague
- 1992 – 1999 Academy of Fine Arts, Prague, Czech Rep.
- 2003 -2004 Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten – Amsterdam, Netherland
Lives and works in Prague.
Solo exhibitions
- 2018 “We all want to be cleaned”, Gong, Ostrava
“Jsem kus klacku natřenej na bílo”, Galerie Zdenek Sklenář, Litomyšl - 2017 “My Light in Pieces”, Polanski Gallery, Brno, Czech Rep.
“Nervous Trees”, Galerie Rudolfinum, Prague, Czech Rep.
“Postnaturalia”, Maramotti Collection, Reggio Emilia, Italy - 2016 “Natural Nervosity”, Kunsthalle LAB, Bratislava, Slovakia
- 2015 “May Be It Is Here”, Ron Mandos Gallery, Amsterdam, Netherland
“Your Light is My Life”, Kunsthal Rotterdam, Netherland - 2014 “Oh, No!”, Nevan Contempo Gallery, Prague, Czech Rep.
“I am not you”, Tinguely Museum, Basel, Swizerland
“Nervous Trees”, Galerie/Schleicher Lange, Berlin, Germany - 2013 “Bad News”, Galerie Jiří Švestka, Berlin, Germany
“Hollywoodoo”, MEM-Fait Gallery, Brno, Czech Rep.
“Symptoms of Nervosities”, Galerie D+T Project, Brusel, Belgium
“Nervous”, Galerie Města Blanska, Czech Rep. - 2012 “Black Flag”, Make Up Gallery, Košice, Slovakia
“Demon of the Growth”, Galerie Schleicher/Lange, Berlin, Germany
“Výsledky Analyzy”, Galerie Hlavního Města Prahy, Městská knohovna, Praha
“Analysis Results”, La Station, Nice, France - 2011 “There is No Way to Go Now”, Obední Dům, Opava Czech Rep.
- 2010 “Unhappy Coincidence”, Galerie Ho, Marseille, France
“A Bigger Problem Than Yours”, Galerie JIří Švestka, Berlin, Germany
The Bigger Problem Than Yours, Jiri Svestka Gallery, Prague - 2009 “Lay Down and Shine”, gallery Schleicher Lange, Paris, France
“Holy Spirit Opened”, Dům umění, Ostrava, Czech Rep. - 2008 “Holy Spirit Opened”, Galerie Brno, Brno, Czech Rep.
“Believe it or not”, Východočeská galerie, Pardubice, Czech Rep.
“One or two or crowd”, Dominik Art Project, Krakow, Poland
“Miracle”, Fundament Fundation, Tilburg, Netherland
“Rituals”, V.M. 21 arte contemporanea, Rome, Italy
Volta NY, New York, USA
“It and bicycle”, Prostějovské muzeum umění, Prostějov, Czech. Rep. - 2007 “Problems on top of problems”, Galerie Schleicher+Lange, Paris, France
“The weather is changing”, A.M. 180, Prague, Czech Republic - 2006 “Revolution”, Galeria Potocka, Krakow, Poland
“Carry on as if Everything Was Alright”, Galerie Schleicher und Lange, Paris, France
“I am sick of it all”, Moravská galerie, Brno, Czech Rep.
“Hrubý Domácí Produkt”, Galerie Štenberk, Czech Rep. - 2005 “Power-Play”, Galerie Mázhaus, Pardubice, Czech Rep.
- 2004 „Super Natural Special Real”, Jiří Švestka gallery, Prague, Czech Rep.
“We´ve got the power!”, One man show — art fair Brusel, Belgium - 2002 “Can you show me what´s in your bag?” Gallery Open, Bratislava, Slovak Rep.
“Privat Revolution”, Galerie v Kapli, Bruntál, Czech Rep. - 2001 Gallery 761, Ostrava, Czech Republic
“Are you all right?” Czech center Munich, Germany
“Are you all right?”, La Chaufferie, Strasbourg, France
“It won´t be better!”, Gallery Skuc, Ljubljana, Slovenia
“Lepší už to nebude !”, Gallery Behémot, Czech Republic - 2000 Gallery of E.Filla, Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic
- 1999 “Talkmen”, Gallery of the City of Prague, Prague, Czech Rep.
“Painting is watching you”, Sternmberský palac, National Gallery Prague, Czech rep. - 1997 Gallery U kamene, Cheb, Czech Republic
- 1996 Gallery Ruce, Prague, Czech Republic¬
- 1995 “Plumbař”, Gallery Mladých, Brno, Czech Republic
Performances with Jednotka/Unit
- 2002 “Talkmen”
- 2000 “Ikebana”
- 1998 “Live”
“Mr. TV”
“Art Dealer”
- 1997 “An Argument” 1996 “From the bush”
- 1994 “Explosion”
“STOP”
“A Walk”,
“The Bible”, - 1993 “Message in the bottle”
“The Granary”
“The Picnic”
“Things”
“The Fly”
Other Projects
- 2007 Curating group exhibition: “Gross Domestic Product” at Prague City Gallery
Designing media campaign and interior design for Prague Quadrennial 2007 - 2005 Designing promo boot for Prague Quadrennial 2007
2 sculptures for National Museum, exhibition Golden Age of Media
creating media campaign and Tv spot for “One World” — international documentary film festival - 2004 working as graphic designer for several art institutuions like Goethe Institut Prague, Prague Quadriennale, Prague City Gallery etc. 2002 creating TV advert for National Theatre — Looks of Contemporary Drama
- 1999 01 founding venue and working as an artistic director in alternative multicultural space UNIVERSAL NOD in Prague, www.universalnod.cz
- 2001 designing stage design and acting in theatre performance “Passanger” of Jednotka/Unit /performed: Czech rep., Slovakia, Chroatia, Germany, more: www.jednotka.cz
- 1999 designing stage design and acting in theatre street performance “The Life of Fantasy” of Jednotka/Unit /performed in 1999-2000 Czech rep., Slovenia, Italy, Ukraine, Lithuania, Chroatia, Germany/, touring 1999-2002
- 2000 designing and making Internet café interior for Café 9.net 1998 designing multimedia theatre project “Strange things” of Jednotka/Unit /performed in theatre Alfred ve Dvore — Prague and theatre festival Kolin
- 1996 stage design in Dejvicke theatre — Prague
Stipendiums, scholarships, support
Ohio State University, 1995, Columbus Ohio , USA
Germinations X, 1997, Birmingham , England
Willa Waldberta, 2001, Germany
Jana und Milan Jelinek Stiftung
Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten Amsterdam, 2003-4, Netherland
In collection of
Fogg Art Museum of Harvard University, Boston
National Gallery, Prague, City Gallery Prague
Museum der Moderne, Salzburg
Rubell Family Collection, Miami, Collezione Maramotti, Italy
Jerry Speyer Collection, New York
Thomas Olbricht Collection, Essen
Kadist Art Fundation, Paris
Ludwig Museum, Budapest,
Michel Fedoroff Collection, Barbierato Collection, Italy
MOCAK – Museum of Contemporary Art – Krakow,
Europaisches Patentamt – Munchen, Rosenblum Collection & Friends, Paris
Thomas D. Newbold, Collet, Lettenmayer Collection, Prague
Boghossian Foundation, Brussels
and other private collections in Berlin, Bratislava, Geneva, Paris, Prague, Rome, etc.
Prizes
“Personality of the Year 2011”
Honour prize of Soros centrum of Contemporary Art, Bratislava, Slovak Republic 1996
Prague Biennale II, 2005
Selected bibliography
Marta Smolíková, “Interior vs. Exterior”, catalogue Interior vs. Exterior or On the Border of (possible) Wordls 1996
Jiří and Jana Ševčík, “Dispersed concentration”, catalogue Abstrakt/Real, Wien 1996
Teresa Bruthansová, “They live with us”, magazine Atelier, 1997
Anna Potocka, catalogue Germination X, 1998
Karolína Fabelová, “To a další věci” — interview, Umění a řemesla, 2/1998
Christoph Blase, “Luxemburger pluralismus”, Kunst-Bulletin, September 1998
Michal Koleček, Interview – “Revue Labyrint n.5-6 — kultura velkoměst”, September 1999
Radek Wohlmut, „Na počátku bylo slovo”, Lidové Noviny /Umění a kritika/ 21.11. 1999
Lenka Lindauerová, Magazine Artist, 2000
Karel Císař, catalogue Bohemian birds, Kunst — Haus, Dresden
Lev Nikolajevich Yednotkin, “White ware”, catalogue Abstrakt/Real, Triennale Kleinplastik Fellbach, 2001
Lenka Nejezchlebová, Lidové Noviny, magazín Pátek, leden 2001
Olga Malá, catalogue Corps et traces, 2002 editions Hazan, Paris
Karel Srp, Dějiny umění 12, 2002, Praha
Michal Nanoru, interwiew, Živel č.23, červen 2003 Praha
Amiel Grumberg, Beaux Arts-magazine, april 2004 issue, Paris
Jana Chytilová, interwiew, Tiime-in magazine, březen 2005, Prague
Sylvie Petráková, “Performance domácích spotřebičů”, Lidové noviny, 28.2.2005, Prague
Petr Šourek, „Kinterovi roboti ožili a mají se k světu, Respekt, březen 2005
Lenka Nejezchlebová, Lidové Noviny, magazín Pátek, 25.3. 2005
Flash Art, vol. 1, Czech and Slovak Edition, interview with Erik Binder
Time IN, květen 2007, interview with Marek Gregor
Art & Antiques, červen 2007, interview with Karolina Jirkalová
Magazin Tyden, 24/2007, interview with Karolina Vránková
MF Dnes, 11.08. 2007, interview with Vladimira Šumberová
Volker Adoplhs, catalogue “Going, staying”, Kunstumuseum Bonn, 2007
Group exhibitions
- 2018 “Eco Visionaries — Art and Architecture after Anthropocene”, Lisabon, Portugal
“Hidden Beauty” Galerie Sara Zanin, Rome, Italy
“8”, Kali gallery, Lucern, Switzerland - 2017 Sulle vie dell’Illuminazione, MASI Lugano, Switzerland
„Kmeny” Moravská galerie, Brno, Czech Republic
“My Light is Your Light”, Watou, Belgium
“New Black Romanticism”, Muzeul National de Arta al Romaniei, Bukurest, Romania
Kunstlerhause Bethanien, Berlin, Germany
“Prague Power Boost”, Ludwig Museum Koblenz - 2016 “GOLEM” Jewish Museum Berlin, Germany
“Wer Nicht Denken Will, Fliegt Raus”, Museum Kurkaus Kleve, Kleve, Germany
“All Hail Sport!”, DOX, Prague, Czech Republic
“Magie und Macht”, Marta Herford, Herford, Germany
“Medicine in Art”, MOCAK, Krakow, Poland
“Not Really Really”, Frederic de Goldschmidt Collection, Brussels, Belgium
- 2015 “Prosopopeés”, Cent Quatre, Paris, France
“Něha”, Prague, Czech Republic
“Balagan !!!”, Momentum, Berlin, Germany
“Swim with the current, stay like a rock”, International Manifesta Foundation, Amsterdam, NL
“Industriale Immaginario”, Collezionemaramotti, Regio Emilia, Italy
“Brave New World”, DOX, Prague, Czech Republic
“Levitate”, Museum Quartier, Vienna, Austria
“IN THE LEE OF THE IN-BETWEEN”, Watou, Belgium
„Public Juke Box”, Oerol, Terchelling, Netherland
“V codes”, Haus der Kunst, Munich, Germany
„Le Paradis et l’Enfer”, Boghossian Fundation, Brussels, Belgium
„132,54 m2″, Schleicher/ Lange Bertlin, Germany - 2014 „Stalactica”, Quincaillerie Vander Eycken, Brussels, Belgium
“High Horizons: Bruegel Land, early 21th Century”, Royal Museum of Fine Arts -, Antwerp, Belgium,
“A Book Between Two Stools”, Boghosian Foundation, Villa Empain, Brussels, Belgium - 2013 “Truly Flabby Preludes (For a Dog), Maison Popularie, Montreuil, France
“Problem is Here” 4 days in Motion, Prague
“Christof Social Club”, Hallein, Austria
“A La Recherche de la Boheme Perdue”, CAN, Neuchatel, Switzerland
“Geometrie variable”, Reims, France
“Images for Images – Artists for Tichy — Tichy for Artists”, GASK, Kutná Hora, Czech Rep.
“Daddy you can’t make a cactus…this has been done!”, Grimm Museum Berlin, Germany - 2012 “Cartographies of Hope”, DOX, Prague, Czech Republic
“La Nuit Blanche”, Košice, Slovakia
“Zářicí měsíc, svěží vítr”, Litomyšl, Czech Republic
“Začátek století”, Plzeň, Czech Republic
“Oh, Plasticksack!”, Gewerbemmuseum Winterthur, Germany - 2011 “Farbe im Fluss”, Museum fur Moderne Kunst Wesenburg, Bremen, Germany
“The Mocak Collection”,MOCAK, Krakow, Poland
“Art on Lake” Budapest, Hungary
“Velocypedia”, Galerie NTK, Národní technická knihovna, Prague, Czech Republic
6 Nový Zlínský salon mladých, Dům Umění ve Zlíne, Zlín, Czech Republic
“Puppen-Projectionsfiguren in der Kunst”, Villa Rot Museum, Burgrieden, Germany - 2010 “Displaced Divisions”, Škuc Gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia
RE-DO-RE-THINK-RE-PLAY, Czech Center, New York
“Sunday” London, Ambika P3, Great Britain
“Revenge”, Tallin Art Hall, Estonia
“Schleicher+Lange at temporary Gallery Vienna”, Kunstbuero, Wien, Austria - 2009 “All creatures great and small”, Zacheta National Gallery, Warsaw, Poland
“Processing a Mirage”, galerie Futura, Prague, Czech Repubic
“After Velvet”, Prague City Gallery, Prague, Czech Republic
“Open 09”, zámek Třebešice, Czech Republic
“Mes Dalton”, Centre d’Art Contemporain la Chapelle du Genêteil, Château-Gontier, France
“New Aqusitions”, Museum Ludvig, Budapest
“Open Office”, Aircraft gallery, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
“Let Us Be US”, Emil Fila Gallery, Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic - 2008 “Domestic Appliance”, Flowers East, London, U.K.
“Don´t worry be curious”, Casino Luxembourg, Luxembourg
“Uprising”, Raw Space Galleries, Sydney, Australia
“Socha a objekt”, Galerie Kressing, Bratislava, Slovakia
“La Foule — 0-infinity”, Espace D´art Contemporain La Tolerie, Clermont-Ferrand, France
“Ad Absurdum”, Marta Herford, Herford, Germany
“Where is the mistake? – visuality vs. reality”, Povážská galeria Žilina, Slovakia - 2007 “Going, Staying”, Kunstmuseum Bonn, Germany
“Pay Attention please”, 26 cc, Rome, Italy
“Big Store”, Temple Bar Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
“Constellations” Artissima 14, Torino, Italy
“Czech Point”, Arsenal Gallery, Poznaň, Poland
“Socha a Objekt”, Slovenská Národní Galerie, Bratislava, Slovakia - 2006 “Ten, ta, to,” City Gallery Prague, Prague
“Shadows of Humor”, Mars Gallery, Moscow, Russia
“Czech Point”, Universal NoD, Praque, Czech Rep.
“Cinq milliards d´années / Five Billion Years”, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France
“Shift”, Galerie Grita Insam, Wienna, Austria
“Volta 02″, Basel, Switzerland
„Tina B”, Veletržní palác, Prague, Czech Rep.
„Pragse Tuin”, Gouverneurstuin te Assen, Netherland
„Local Global”, Mikkelin, Taidemuseo, Mikkeli, Finland
„Art Rock”, Rockeffeller Plaza, New York, USA
„Odlet — Low Cost Generation”, České centrum, Prague, Czech Rep.
„Shadows of Humor”, BWA Awangarda, Wroclaw, Poland
„Ferne Nahe”, Lilienfeld, Austria - 2005 “Yes Yes Yes Yes — Difference and Repetition in Pictures of the Olbricht Collection”, Leverkusen, Germany
“Positioning, In the New Reality of Europe”, The National Museum of Modern Art, Osaka, Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporarz Art, Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, Japan
“Czech Photography of the 20th Century”, City Gallery Prague, CZ
“Living Together”, Odapark Venray, Netherland
“Low tech”, Arti et Amicitiae, Amsterdam, Netherland
“Aller-Retour”, Galerie Schleicher & Lange, Paris, France
„Prague Biennale II, Praha, CZ - 2004 „Insiders”, Dům pánů z Kunštátu, Brno, Czech rep.
„Open Studios”, Rijskakademie van Beeldende Kunsten, Amsterdam, Netherland
„Werre und co.”, galerie Rachel Haferkamp, Koln, Germany
„Free entrance”, Bawag Fundation, Wien, Austria
“Breakthrough”, Grote Kerk, Den Haag, Netherland
„Metro”, Gallery Priestor, Bratislava, Slovakia
“Eastern Alliance”, Ort: Lichtturm, Berlin OberbaumCity, Germany
“EU-positiv”, Akademie der Kunste, Berlin, Germany
„+ 5″ Deiska, Amsterdam, Netherland
„Ipermercati dell´arte”, Palazzo delle Papesse, Siena, Italy - 2003 “Czechoslovakia”, Bratislava, SK
“Young salon”, Zlín, CZ
“Prague Biennale I”, Veletržní palác, Prague, CZ
“Survey”, Galerie Futura, Praha, CZ
“Aus Liebe — Zeitgenössische Kunst aus Prag”, Remscheid, Germany
“Finále”, Laueráti ceny J. Chalupeckého, Futura, CZ
“Open Studios”, Rijksakadmie van Beeldende Kunsten, NL - 2002 “Fair”, Royal Collage of Art, London, UK
“Insideout”, Bunker, Actions gallery, Berlin, Germany
“Corps et traces”, Musee des beaux-arts Nancy, France - 2001 “Slepená intimita”, Galerie Jelení, Prague, CZ
„Objekt Objekt”, Dům u Černé Matky Boží, Prague, CZ
„O člověku”, Museum of Czech Fine Art, Prague, Cz
„Trienalle of small sculpture”, Fellbach, Germany
„Borders 2001″, Slavonski Brod, Chroatia
„To Flow To”, Galerie Chromosome, Berlin, Germany
“Finale”, National Gallery Prague, Veletrzni palac, Prague, CZ - 2000 „Nests of Games”, Galerie Rudolfinum, Prague, Czech Republic
„Worthless (Invaluable), Museum of Modern Art Ljubljana, Slovenia
„UberlebensKunst”, Neuer Berliner Kunstwerein, Berlin, Germany
„Alles in Bewegung”, Galerie Barakk, Berlin, Germany
„After the Wall”, Ludwig Museum – Budapest, Hamburger Banhof – Berlin
„The End of the World”, National Gallery Prague, Palace Kinskych, CZ
„All you can eat”, Galerie fur Zeitgennossiche Kunst, Leipzig, Germany
„Bohemian Birds”, Kunst Haus Dresden, Germany - 1999 “Unplanned Connections”, Mánes, Praha, Czech Republic
“Close Encounters”, Naarden, Comenius Museum, Holland
“Midnight Walkers and City Sleepers”, W-139, Amsterdamm, Holland
“Ordinary fairytales”, Galerie Klatovy – Klenová, Czech Republic
“Plug in City”, Salon 3, London, Great Britain
„After the Wall”, Moderna Museet, Stockholm, Sweden
“99 CZ”, Václavské nám. 15, Praha, Czech Republic
“Finale”, National Gallery, Prague, Czech Republic - 1998 “Low Budget”, Mánes, Prague, Czech Republic
“Reciprocita”, VŠVU, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
„Czech Art in 90´s”, Prague City Gallery, Dům u Zlatého Prstenu, Cz
“Manifesta II”, Casino Luxembourg, Luxembourg
“Germinations 10”, Factory, Athens, Greece
“Close Encounters”, Narden, Holland - 1997 AVU, Mánes, Prague, Czech Republic
“Quiet messeges”, Budapest, Hungary
“Artwork in Public Spaces”, Veletržní palác, Prague, Czech Republic
“Show”, Štátná galeria v Banské Bystrici , Slovak Rep.
“Towards the Object”, Riverside studios, London, Great Britain
“Metal Sculptures”, Gallery of V. Špály, Prague, Czech Republic - 1996 “Salón”, Zlín, Czech Republic
“Harvest”, Gallery Sýpka, Vlkov, Czech Republic
“Exteriér vs. Interiér”, Cosmos, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
“Biennial of Young Artists II”, Dům U Kamenného zvonu, Prague, Cz - 1995 “Test Run”, Mánes, Prague, Czech Republic
AVU, Mánes, Prague, Czech Republic
“Bienalle of small sculpture”, Murska Subota, Slovenia
“Real Pictures”, Gallery Sýpka, Vlkov, Czech Republic - 1994 Gallery AFFA, Prague, Czech Republic
Gallery Sýpka, Vlkov, Czech Republic
“New Names”, Gallery of V. Špály, Prague, Czech Republic
AVU, Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic - 1993 AVU U Hybernů, Dům U Hybernů, Prague, Czech Republic
Hermit II, monastery Plasy, Prague, Czech Republic
