curated by Pavel Kubesa
text by Domenico de Chirico
October 23 - 26 November, 2018
NoD Gallery
Dlouhá 33
Prague, 110 00
Czech Republic
Taking inspiration from the methodology of storytelling,
Jakub Jansa uses narration as an instrument created by the mind to
contextualize reality and explains it according to a logic of senses, in order
to examine identity processes and media experiences in depth and focus on the
dynamics of social influencing. By doing so, he develops a sort of
"interactive process" within which the narrative discourse allows for
several interpretations to whoever makes contact with the story that Jansa
himself wants to tell, in particular: "Club of Opportunities", in its
fifth episode, presents its undisputed main character, "actor" Red
Herring, in a new significant evolution process.
His poetry, seemingly twisted and dreamlike, is based on
expanded and elaborate metaphors and his language, carefully structured and
polished, turns out to be intentionally rhetorical, a sort of subversive
declamation designed to deconstruct the more traditional spoken narration.
Acting almost as an omniscient narrator, Jansa uses cryptic
and intimate dramaturgy to create settings in an almost Shakesperean style.
Based on his empirical experience, he describes characters and archetypal
situations deliberately transforming their nature through a motion that goes
from the top down and viceversa, so as to achieve a distinctive poetry and
structuring the plot from time to time to create multiple interesting themes
and to show various possible points of view.
Jansa gives voice to a distinctive aspect of today's society,
characterized by an intense "media socialization", by examining the
most direct interpersonal encounter and highlighting the lack of adaptability
towards society that the individual often shows. In his epic poem "Club of
Opportunities", Jansa describes its characters in real time through
enchanting tales and makes the obscure and mysterious entities more visible and
comprehensible. Red Harring is here ready to fight against himself in a
cerebral and almost videogame-y "mise en scène" centred around his own two battling personalities, each
constantly trying to take control of his attitude towards the outside world.
Domenico de Chirico, 2018