The exhibition of Julie Daňhelová and Kryštof Kučera intertwines several imaginary veins that were decisive for the cultural landscape of the Erzgebirge. The Dowsing Rods of the exhibition's title refer to the controversial method of searching for underground metals using dowsing rods that miners have resorted to since the Middle Ages. At the same time, they suggest that mining has never been just about extracting raw materials, but also about a certain (far from necessarily rational) relationship with the environment. The diversity of approaches to the world is also illustrated by other forms and transformations of work, whose traces are imprinted in the exhibition. Turning to mining mythology as her chosen subject, Julie's technically precise drawing with a micro pencil resembles the bobbin lace, the production of which the miners themselves are said to have occasionally earned a living when they were unable to go underground. A similar tension between brute force and delicate handling is attested to by Kryštof's "crusted" objects made of wood, whose form can resemble both magic wands and industrial drills. In addition, the works of art are complemented in the exhibition by found fragments of mother-of-pearl or brass instruments, which represent the remains of local button-making and musical-instrument production. Together, Julie and Kryštof thus probe a multifaceted space in which tradition mixes with modernity, magic with technology, the inhospitality of underground shafts with the cosiness of vanished households, domestic production with the world market, and the exploitation of the landscape with its care.

Curator: Vojtěch Märc