Bátorek & Šumichrast: Every day same things happen

On the dates from 14 March to 16 May, Atelier XIII will host an exhibition by artists Ján Bátorek and Michal Šumichrast entitled Every day the same things happen.

Ján Bátorek’s works are about memories of home, of Kysuce housing estates overgrown with forests and concrete, about fascination with nature, the human body, postmodernism, brutalism and everything strange. But they are also about his demons, fear and madness. In the latter works, the viewer encounters his alter egos from his childhood which he inserts into his memories of various real (and surreal) situations and environments. He creates some strange mix of raw reality and fantastic, even dreamlike imaginings. Almost everything is studded with thorns, spines, as a reference to the subcultures that are close to him today. Characters, animals, plants – everything is muscular, like the superheroes of his childhood. He tries to enhance the 90’s impression with his imitation of the first 3D games and vector graphics.

Michal Šumichrast (b. 1991) graduated in graphic design from the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava, where he is currently working on his postgraduate degree. He lives and works in Bratislava. Šumichrast focuses his work on various political, social or economic phenomena, which he likes to make fun of. He often incorporates textual elements into his works, such as political slogans, excerpts from songs, films or books. Although Shumichrast may be slightly influenced by internet memes, pulp magazines or subculture, his work remains critical.