How does the role of the artist change when they transition from student to teacher? And what mark does art education leave on the work of those who are now passing on their experience to the next generation?

The exhibition Art Relay marks the 20th anniversary of the international summer art school ArtCamp and symbolically explores the themes of continuity, the sharing of experiences, and intergenerational dialogue. It presents the work of three artists associated with the Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, who recently graduated and soon became part of the teaching community themselves. They have thus not only taken up the figurative baton but are also passing it on.

The common denominator among the exhibiting artists is neither a unified theme nor an aesthetic program. They are united primarily by generational experience, their studies at the same faculty, and their relationship to two-dimensional imagery—whether in the form of painting, illustration, graphic art, or artist’s books. The exhibition therefore does not offer a unified statement, but rather a meeting of three distinctive creative approaches that complement one another and engage in a quiet dialogue about contemporary forms of imagery and storytelling.

Veronika Bílková weaves together image, text, and music into complex, original works. In her books and illustrations, she often turns to figures from the music scene and the stories behind their work. Her work is characterized by a sensitivity to atmosphere, rhythm, and narrative, which also permeate her paintings of landscapes and urban scenes.

Kateřina Illnerová creates poetic worlds that straddle the line between illustration and comics. She pays close attention to the details of everyday life and to objects, which, in her interpretation, take on a character and story of their own. Delicate line work, imagination, and the ability to find the extraordinary in ordinary things are among the defining characteristics of her work.

Tomáš Leba has long focused on the phenomenon of light in his work. Through printmaking, drawing, and painting, he explores light’s ability to transform ordinary objects into vessels of deeper meaning. In seemingly ordinary situations and motifs, he seeks moments of concentration, contemplation, and questions relating to the very essence of seeing. 

The exhibition Art Relay is not only a presentation of the current work of three young artists, but also a reminder that art education is not a one-way process. It is based on the constant passing on of experiences, inspirations, and values that evolve with each new generation. In the context of ArtCamp’s twenty-year history, the exhibition symbolically reminds us that art is created not only in studios, but also in shared spaces of dialogue, encounter, and mutual learning.

Venue: Inkubátor Gallery

opening hours: in July from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., in the first half of August from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and from the second half of August from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.