Do you know Anna Šabatová? Do you know what Gerti Cori did for the history of medicine, or what was the name of the journalist
with whom the languishing Franz Kafka fell madly in love? Answers to these and many other questions will be offered by
a new exhibition of the town gallery called Drops on Stone. The exhibition is unusual, as it attempts to transpose
a book into exhibition space. More specifically, its unique illustrations.
The book Drops on Stone was a bit unlucky. It came out during the pandemic and found its way to its readers in a more complicated way. Still, it is worth paying attention to, both in terms of content and visuals. In terms of content, it is a follow-up to the very popular and translated into many languages book Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls and brings the stories of 50 real female characters from Czech and Slovak history and the present day. It introduces the reader to the fates of women who were not afraid to stand up to totalitarianism, women who, despite adverse conditions, excelled in professions that until then belonged only to men, or women who cared for others and were not afraid to speak up.
In addition to the unusual and in many ways inspiring life stories, Drops on the Stone also stands out for its visual accompaniment, as very distinctive illustrations were created for each woman’s story. Twenty-six illustrators from the Czech Republic and Slovakia are their authors. Each of them worked in a different style, and therefore the book can also be seen as a showcase of diverse illustrative techniques – purely analogue illustrations, drawn in watercolour and ink on paper; digital illustration, characterised by restrained colour and subtle textures, or, conversely, by oversized blocks of saturated colour; and finally, a symbiosis of both, since even today many illustrators build their digital graphics on the artisanal foundations of drawing done in ordinary pencil.
The main aim of the exhibition of the same name in the town gallery is to bring the above-mentioned diverse overview of illustrative techniques into the exhibition space. An interesting moment in the exhibition is the interconnection of text and image, so that the visitor can get to know the way the illustrator works. The illustrations of Drops on Stone are intended for young readers and therefore choose a very specific, playful, colourful and novel form. They tell stories, much like the text they illustrate, assign attributes, portray selected personalities, introduce viewers to the times in which they lived or the challenges they faced, while remaining intimate works of art.
Borrow the book Drops on Stone at the ticket office of the town gallery and walk through exhibition. Immerse yourself in interesting stories
and watch, how the fates of selected personalities are mirrored in their illustrated portraits.
The book Drops on Stone can also be purchased at the galleries ticket office for CZK 369.
The book Drops on Stone was published by Albatros in 2019.
Illustrators:
Pavla Baštanová, Barbora Idesová, Jana Farmanová, Magdaléna Gurská, Han Donau, Aneta Františka Holasová, Margarita Khavanski, Veronika Klímová, Kateřina Kynclová, Nikola Logosová, Michaela Mihalyi, Jana Nachlingerová, Taja Spasskova, Ivana Šáteková, Monika Pascoe Mikyšková, Ilona Polanski, Alica Raticová, Tereza Říčanová, Broňa Schragge, Dagmar Skokanová Tragorová, Petra Waldauf Slabá, Marie Štumpfová, Andrea Tachezy, Bianka Török, Veronika Vlková, Lucia Žatkuliaková
Writers:
Monika Kompaníková, Kamila Musilová, Gabriela Futová, Lucie Jarkovská, Monika Kapráliková, Hana Krutílková, Klára Kubíčková, Veronika Šikulová, Zuzana Štelbaská
Curators of the exhibition:
Martina Zuzaňáková, Jana Kosková
Graphic design of the exhibition:
Lenka Bartoschek, Johny Bartoschek
