What is left of the revolution?
Curatorial duo Ester Hotová and Robert Vlček conceive the 8th edition of STÁTKY as a one-day event and an opportunity for civil society to come together. They build upon their multimedia exhibition Sametem boj za lepší svět neskončil, which they originally presented at Galerie Sibiř in 2023. As part of the STÁTKY series, this exhibition is updated and set in direct contrast with the institutional formality of the Brno City Councillors' Club. Where have the ideals of the Velvet Revolution vanished from the Czech political mainstream? And when getting everyday people's interests into the political sphere seems impossible, is it possible to take that space back?
History hasn't ended, resistance is inevitable
The curators aim to recall and revitalize the emancipatory struggles and radical thought that survive to this day thanks to numerous collectives and individuals active in squatter, anti-globalization, anti-fascist, and environmental movements: "November 17, 1989, was a crucial milestone in the fall of the totalitarian Bolshevik regime and marked the end of the KSČ(M)'s rule. However, it is often presented to the public as the turning point from which everything simply got better because we finally had both democracy and capitalism.
People often forget that the core ideals of the Velvet Revolution—and with them the vision of a new society—were rooted in non-violence, self-organization, democracy, fairness, justice, and humanity. At least some of these ideals were swiftly sidelined by the new political establishment. The wild capitalism of the 1990s and the nascent democracy not only uncovered problems previously suppressed under totalitarian rule, but also created new challenges that civil society had to confront.
We want to show that the ideals of the Velvet Revolution were not completely erased. Despite current narratives labeling these ideas as leftist and associating them—if not directly with Bolshevism, then at least with neo-Marxism—there are collectives, initiatives, and movements that continue to build upon self-organization, justice, equality, and humanity."
The exhibition—comprising archival photographs, documents, artifacts, and video—will be accompanied by guided tours, screenings of the documentary films Hry prachu (Dust Games) and 161>88, an author reading by Radek Wollmann from his book Krev, kruh, černá (Blood, Circle, Black), and meetups with representatives of contemporary activist collectives.
Further details regarding the schedule will be announced soon.
About the Authors
Ester Hotová
In her artistic practice, she explores socially engaged as well as personal themes, working across diverse media ranging from illustration and comics to animal cadavers. She is active at the Bio Sibiř cultural center, where she also co-founded the offspace Galerie Sibiř, serving as its curator.
Robert Vlček
A longtime civic activist who has lived in Brno for nearly a quarter of a century. Over the years, his career has spanned social services, multinational corporations, and the non-profit sector, before settling into the cultural sphere. Since moving to Brno, he has taken part in activist collectives such as Limity jsme my, Food Not Bombs, NESEHNUTÍ, and currently the Tenants' Initiative (Iniciativa nájemnic a nájemníků). He also provides training for activist groups and NGOs. Like Ester, he has been involved with the Sibiř cultural center since its inception, and in recent years has overseen much of its day-to-day operations and programming.
