Depiction of Bicycles and Their Role in Human Life Showcased in the Ride Exhibition at the EPO1 Center for Contemporary Art in Trutnov in Collaboration with the Sport in Art Platform. Starting from May 3rd, the exhibition will feature works by more than forty artists from various generations. The five-month-long exhibition will attract visitors with sculptures, installations, and visual art. This monumentally conceived exhibition, held in the former power plant, will be the most extensive showcase ever dedicated to the phenomenon of bicycles and cycling on both a Czech and international scale. The gallery is also planning a series of events featuring artists and athletes. The exhibition was created in collaboration with the Sport in Art platform.
The exhibition, which broadly connects art and sport, will showcase bicycles and movement in their many forms. The curator of the exhibition is Petr Volf, a leading expert on the theme of sports in art. In part of the turbine hall of the multifunctional gallery, works by sculptors such as Jakub Flejšar, Karel Nepraš, Zdeněk Němeček, Paulina Skavová, Vratislav Karel Novák, and Čestmír Suška will be displayed.
In the same space, installations and objects by other artists, including Jiří Černický, Jiří David, Krištof Kintera, Jan Stolín, and Filip and Lukáš Houdek, will be featured. Paintings by Alena Anderlová, František Mertl (known internationally as FRANTA), Ondřej Kohout, Michael Rittstein, Petr Písařík, Natálie Roučková, Karel Štědrý, Jakub Špaňhel, and Lubomír Typlt will also be presented.
Many of the objects and paintings will have their debut at the Ride exhibition, thanks to the collaboration with the Sport in Art platform. Created specifically for the industrial gallery environment, one of the largest private cultural institutions in the Czech Republic, the exhibition space itself is an architecturally significant achievement.
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The atmosphere of the Tour de France will be evoked by the winners' trophies designed by Peter Oláh for the famous race, and by photographs from Markéta Navrátilová, a renowned photographer who has documented the world’s most famous cycling race up close many times.
The organizers believe that the Ride exhibition will attract people who wouldn't normally visit gallery spaces. "We are looking for exhibition themes that can appeal to a wider audience across generations. When we were planning this year's exhibitions, the idea of combining art and sport seemed interesting. Art lovers, athletes, and even children will find something to enjoy. It's no secret that the gallery's owner, Rudolf Kasper, is an avid cyclist, so he quickly became enthusiastic about the theme. The bicycle is simply a phenomenon. Everyone knows it, everyone has ridden one, and for many people, it is part of everyday life. Bicycles are used for leisure activities, travel, and, of course, sports. Cycling is also connected to our region, whether it's the private terrain rides at Trutnov Trails in the Jestřebí Mountains or the well-known Krakonoš Cycle Marathon," said Jan Kunze, director of the EPO1 gallery.
During the exhibition, visitors can also attend several accompanying events where they can meet both cycling sports heroes and artists associated with the Sport in Art platform. The accompanying events will feature cycling legends such as Jan Svorada, Pavel Padrnos, Lubor Tesař, and Roman Kreuziger. Actor, architect, and passionate cyclist David Vávra will also be in attendance. The program will repeatedly include workshops for children.
Event Dates, with the program to be announced gradually:
- Saturday, May 18: Giro d'Italia theme with five-time Grand Tour stage winner Ján Svorada and a ride from EPO1.
- Sunday, June 2: Ride combined with a course inspection of the Krakonoš Cycle Marathon and a guided tour of the Ride exhibition at EPO1.
- Friday, June 14: Collection of start numbers for the Krakonoš Cycle Marathon at EPO1 and a talk by Petr Benčík.
- Thursday, July 11 to Saturday, July 13: Tour de France theme with Lance Armstrong's star domestique Pavel Padrnos and World Championship medalist Lubor Tesař, exhibition of Tour de France artifacts, Sazka event with the sub-theme Czech Tour.
- Saturday, August 17 and Sunday, August 18: Weekend with bicycle manufacturer Festka, discussion and workshop with Kasper Swix Team Academy.
- Friday, September 13: Cycling and art with the best Czech cyclist of the new millennium, Roman Kreuziger, and David Vávra.
- Saturday, September 21 and Sunday, September 22: Škoda event with ambassador and a displayed car from the Tour de France.
- Saturday, October 12: Women's cycling with partner Sazka.
