The focal point of Ondřej Brody’s work fluctuates between video and socially-focused events. Brody concentrates on the topic of manipulation and often works with intentional provocation. His events tend to have a confrontational character, whether it be a conflict with institutions (communal defacation in the Veletržní palác (Fairgrounds Palace) in Prague as part of a protest against the Prague National Gallery’s management headed by Milan Knížák), conflict with the general public (cutting up strong-smelling foods in public transport areas), or with individuals. An example of the latter-mentioned tendency includes among other things the collective exhibit, Take It Personally, where the exhibiting artists wrote on the gallery wall one after the other the name of one person on the Czecho-slovak art scene, which they do not particularly like. One of Brody’s commonly-used topics is the issue of authorship, authority and power in contemporary artistic operations. He used the status of the artist during his as part of his interview in David Černý’s Artóza TV show in an episode called Česko hledá Artstar (Czech Art Idol). Events oriented toward the Czech art scene fall into this category (Diplomy – Diplomas, Konceptuální a intermediální tvorba – Conceptual and Intermedial Creations) as do those focused on the general issue of art trade/sales (i.e. Art Forum, Super-Flux) put together in co-operation with Kristofer Pateau. Questions on the value of a work of art and its ability to be manipulated play a central role in other events (Kindergarten show, Akt Saloon). The trilogy Miss Krimi, Noise Pictures and Autíčko (Small Car) also relate to (but not only) manipulation and viewership. In these works the artist plays on tensions between artistic and pornographic imaging. Since 2004 he operates an art space called Preproduction in Soldiner Strasse 103 in Berlin’s Wedding sub-section.
Ondřej Brody
Studies:
2000-2005 Academy of Fine Arts, Prague
2003-2004 Universität der Künste, Experimental Media, (Zeit basiert Medien) Berlin
1999-2000 Escuela Superior de Arte (ISA), Fine Art Department, Habana, Cuba
1999 Marysville Piltchuk High, (Open Doors program) Seattle, USA
1993-1999 Colegio Bilingue Jefferson, Guayaquil, Ecuador
2008 – finalist of Jindřich Chalupecký Award
Magid Václav: Neberte si to osobně, A2 kulturní týdeník, 7/ 2007, s. 9
Jeřábková Edith:Video v kurátorské režii, A2 kulturní týdeník, 17/ 2007, s. 9
Lindaurová Lenka, Pornografie a umění (rozhovor), A2 kulturní týdeník, 22/2008, s. 9
M. Ticháčková, Stipendisté – 4 x jinak, A2 4/09
2005
Noise Pictures, Galerie Jelení, Praha
Artstar, Galerie Hit, Bratislava
2006
International Prize for Performance, Galeria Civica, Trent, Itálie
Knock Knock (s Kristoferem Paetauem), Jack the Pelican gallery, New York, USA
Eastern Alliance, NMCA, Bukurešť, Rumunsko
After Cage – WunderKammer (s Kristoferem Paetauem), Z33, Hasselt, Belgie
Leere X Vision, group show, Martha Herford Museum, Herford, Německo
tank tv, Confessions, výstava online (www.tank.tv)
Pet Painting Salon (s Kristoferem Paetau), De Warande, Turnhout, Belgie
Super-Flux, online projekt s Kristoferem Paetauem
Reality 10.55 Odense, Kunsthallen Brandts, Odense, Denmark
Office Art, Galerie c2c, Praha
Passenger train, Galerie Švestka, Praha
2005
Ateliér konceptualní a intemediální tvorby, Galerie AVU, Praha
Gerhard Richter, Project Room 0047, s Kristoferem Paetauem, Berlín
Hot Spots, Essl Award, Klosterneuburg
Essl Award, Moderní galerie, Praha
Kietz Avantgarde Kunstschule, Deutche Kunstlerbund, Berlín
Narrow Focus, dílny Tranzitu, Studená 15, Bratislava
Sell Me, Buy Me, Galerie AVU, Praha
Akt Saloon, HISK In Out space, Antverpy
2004
Forward Gallery v rámci veletrhu Art Forum v Berlíně, skupinová performance
Artóza, Česko hledá Artstar, živá performance v české televizi (květen 2004)
Kindergarden Show, (v rámci projektu Reinstitutionalize organizovaného Kristoferem Paetauem), Berlín
Preproduction space, Berlín (s Jasperem Alvaerem)
Ber si to osobně, Galerie AM 180, Praha (s Jiřím Skálou, Evženem Šimerou a Viktorem Frešem)
AKA (Also known as), Berliner Kunsprojekt, Berlín
2003
Prag: kunst aktuell, Galerie & Projekte Mathias Kampl, Berlín
In & Out, Praha (Mezinárodní festival digitálního umění)
Survey 03, Futura, Praha, performance eskort služby (s Markem Therem)
Už nejsme buzíci, Centrum pro současné umění, Praha (s Evženem Šimerou)
Escape.cz, Žilinská synagoga, Žilina (SK)
III Zlínský Salon mladých, Zlín
Lekce, Galerie CO14, Praha (s Evženem Šimerou)
Špálovka 281m2, Galerie Václava Špály, Praha (aktivistický projekt a instalace, panelové diskuse)
2002
Mladý maso (Young Flesh), Galerie u Zlatého Prstenu, Galerie hlavního města Prahy
Pas Press, Palais de Tokyo, Paris (projekt se skupinou PAS v rámci prezentace časopisu Umělec)
