Follow Fluxus 2011 /

Kateřina Šedá

Die Suppe ist gegessen

The Korean car manufacturer Hyundai established in 2008 a gigantic production plant in the midst of the Czech village NoÅ¡ovice, dividing the village geographically and socially. When Kateřina Šedá visited 2008 the village, she observed an up to then not known indifference and resignation. On the one hand the Korean car producer ignored the grown local structures, on the other hand the population was unable to stop the construction of the plant or to adapt to the new situation.

„NEDÁ SE SVÍTIT “(there is not light), was the answer of most inhabitants when Šedá inquired about the Huyndai plant, becoming the impulse of her creative encounter with the resignation in NoÅ¡ovice. Completely in the sense of social sculpture, the search for ways out became her art project, which she will continue until the unity of the village is restored. All her actions and projects, which circle around the future of the village and the rapprochement of its inhabitants, are based on each other and in constant transformation. During the three-month stay in Wiesbaden Kateřina Šedá realised that the Hessian state capital, contrary to NoÅ¡ovice, is a self-contained functioning unit. Two aspects, the translation of the Czech proverb „NEDÁ SE SVÍTIT“ into the German language and Wiesbaden characterised by water, played an important role for her within the cognitive process.

The majority of 10 translators suggested the idiom „DIE SUPPE IST GEGESSEN “, (The Soup Is Eaten) as German counterpart for “NEDÁ SE SVÍTIT“. As a result Kateřina Šedá decided to look to the future (the main course) for the solution of the problem. Visiting restaurants in Wiesbaden she noticed that the meals are arranged centrically on the plate. In the Czech Republic similar meals are usually presented in such a way as the village and the car plant presents itself: divided into two halves with a hole in the centre for the sauce.

For her Wiesbaden project the main course will become the metaphor for the future of the village NoÅ¡ovice after the era car plant: Following the 26 springs of Wiesbaden and their symbolic presentation as a split fountain, flowing together again in a round basin, 26 cooks from Wiesbaden will travel together with Kateřina Šedá to NoÅ¡ovice. There they will visit restaurants and make themselves familiar with the situation of the village and the local presentation of main courses. Later they will demonstrate their way of arranging Czech main courses, demonstrating so to speak on a plate how the problem in the middle of the plate/village can be solved. The arranged meals will serve in a further step as models for architects and town planners, giving an outlook on the village centre after the closing of the car plant and achieving a similar harmony, as Kateřina Šedá observed in Wiesbaden.

The exhibition in the NKV will transform and accompany each individual step of the project.

Kateřina Šedá

Kateřina Šedá was born 1977 in Brno / Czech Republic.
After studying graphic design in Brno she attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague from 1999 to 2005.

Since then, she has realised numerous projects sometimes involving whole villages referring to the Fluxus idea of social sculpture.

Kateřina Šedá participated in numerous group exhibitions throughout the world, including documenta 12, Manifesta 7, the 5th Berlin Biennial and “Younger than Jesus† at New Museum, New York. Her last institutional solo exhibitions took place in the Museums Sheffield, Künstlerhaus Bremen and Mori Art Museum, Tokio.

In 2011 Kateřina Šedá developed the event “Hyundai: Visitors Day† for the the group show on occasion of the “Future Generation Art Prize† during the Venice Biennial. Recently she is cooperating with the Tate Modern for her project “From Morning till Night†.

Amongst the numerous awards, Kateřina Šedá received during the last years are the sponsorship award of the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation, the Contemporary Art Society’s Award and the Jindřich Chalupecký Award. She had residencys in Hungary, Stockholm and New York. Within the Follow Fluxus grant 2011 she spent three month from June to August in Wiesbaden.

The result of her residency is the exhibition „Die Suppe ist gegessen“ at NKV Kunstverein Wiesbaden, runnnig from 11th of September, 2011 to 3rd of June, 2012. According to the project of the same title, the display is going to change.

Kateřina Šedá lives and works in Brno-Líšeň. She is represented by Gallery Franco Soffiantino, Turin and Arratia, Beer, Berlin.