100 years later 
in front of the fountain


Solo exhibition13. Sep. – 28. Oct. 2023
In the ceaseless passage of time, we find ourselves a century later, in the contemplative presence of Marcel Duchamp’s audacious Fountain. A porcelain urinal appropriated as art, this iconic creation not only challenges conventional artistic definitions but also poses profound questions concerning the identity of art. But 100 years later, as we stand before this emblem, we are compelled to ponder, just as our predecessors did, the seeming timeless riddles it evokes.

Human existence is a fleeting tapestry of traces and ephemeral whispers woven into the chronicle of time. We formulate ideologies, etch our beliefs into history’s ledger, and yearn for our contributions to endure. Yet, we must ask, do these ideologies, so meticulously crafted, possess the resilience to withstand time’s relentless march?

Michal Martychowie’s work serves as a poignant reflection on the bourgeois concept of art’s enduring significance. With Duchamp – the person and symbol in one – as his discussant, he tries to tilt the very foundation of the reading of art and asks: What lasting impact can art truly claim in a world characterized by its impermanence and destruction?

Pressrelease



Selected Works



Reading history, 2018-196
Chromogenic print
130 × 140 cm Ed. 3+1

Inquiry
Return of the Real 2015/2020
Oil on canvas, unique
60 × 45 cm

Inquiry
Art cage, 2017
Enamel on steel
20 × 30 cm

Inquiry

Naming history #1 (2017–1846): Death of Plutarch
Arrangement of framed clamshell and slate Go stones
Unique

Inquiry
Reading history, panda, once again
Go board, 40 hand made glas panda figurines
Dimensions variable, Unique

Inquiry