The research and exhibition project The Gap of Transformation is the culmination of a long-term artistic research project by Adam Trbušek and Artur Magrot.

During a residency spanning several years under the auspices of the Offcity association (2018–2025), facilitated by its co-founder Šárka Zahálková, the authors systematically documented the transformation of the Automatic Mills in Pardubice—capturing their raw metamorphosis from an industrial flour mill into a new institution of visual arts. (In the early stages, the authors also collaborated with theorist Václav Janoščík
and performer Kateřina Szymanska on the initial research and conceptualization.)

The exhibition radically transcends the boundaries of the classical documentary format. At its core is a video installation that defines a new mode of “documentation” and critically reevaluates the “before and after” situation. Through their work with the sculpture subcollection of the Gočár Gallery and a post-media holographic object, the artists create an evocative scenographic space for the viewer.

The Gap becomes a critical field for exploring collective memory and the internal mechanisms of power. In the spirit of Eyal and Ines Weizman’s thinking, the image here functions not as passive evidence but as an active tool of interpretation. The project thus raises fundamental questions: What from our past will remain accessible to the public, what will remain hidden in storage, and how will the identity of this space continue to take shape? What dynamics of power determine all of this?

authors: Adam Trbušek, Artur Magrot

curator: Matej Pancurák

collaboration: Šárka Zahálková