Although Martin Kaiser (*1971) and Dalibor Nesnídal (*1954) now live in the countryside, they were previously active in Karlovy Vary for many years and were key figures in the local cultural scene, not only in the visual arts but also in music and theater. Their work is united by several fundamental characteristics: in addition to impeccable craftsmanship, it features a strong imaginative dimension, humor, and a certain narrative element.

It is precisely these characteristics that we have attempted to suggest with a nonsensical title, evoking the title of a short story collection from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. At the same time, it is a play on words that contains allusions not only to the surnames of both authors but also to Kaiserwald, which was renamed Slavkovský les after World War II.

Dalibor Nesnídal is originally an artistic blacksmith and glass engraver; since 2000, he has been working in illustration and creating his own books, as well as crafting bizarre objects from natural materials that he collects on his travels around the world. Martin Kaiser found himself in the 1990s immersed in Karlovy Vary’s independent cultural scene, which—thanks to Milan Kozelka’s influence there—built on the subversive activities of the Czech underground. Collage, with its surrealist roots, has become his main medium, though he earns his living primarily as a graphic designer.

The work of both artists fits into a tradition rooted in the strong influence of Rudolfine Prague’s art scene in the Czech context, and it is no coincidence that the exhibition in Cheb evokes a modern-day kunstkammer, conceived as a mutual dialogue.&

Curator: Marcel Fišer