This exhibition, a one-work presentation of the artistic duo Barbora Fastrová and Johana Pošová in the CAC’s South Hall, showcases the tapestry Breasts, Children, Creatures, and Waste (2022). Fastrová and Pošová have focused on sustainability for the last few years of their almost decade-long collaboration. This commitment is reflected in the tapestry woven from textile waste, using fabrics sourced from second-hand clothing, linen, and fabric residue from factories that would have otherwise been discarded.
The scene stitched into the fabric illustrates not only the process of its creation but also the metamorphosis between humans, plants, and waste. Beyond its environmental message, the tapestry subtly incorporates a deeply personal theme for the artists: motherhood. This is explored not only in the literal sense of both artists being mothers, but also allegorically, with Mother Earth giving life.
The tapestry took the artists over six months to create by hand. They began by cutting and weaving strips of fabric, which were then woven together one by one on a grid. The work’s handmade, homespun aesthetic, offers a functional contrast to the clean, stripped-down environment of the exhibition hall.
Breasts, Children, Creatures, and Waste was originally created as part of the ‘Flower Union’ group project, which accompanied the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2022.
BARBORA FASTROVÁ (*1988) and JOHANA POŠOVÁ (*1985) have been collaborating on joint projects since 2014. In their multimedia practice, the duo continuously explore the relationship between nature and (Western) culture. In autumn 2018, they began a long-term project titled Cheap Art. The artists are dedicated to recycling as a creative practice and subject matter. They experiment with the extent to which their efforts to act consciously and ecologically influence the preparation of an exhibition, its final form and the viewer experience.
Barbora Fastrová & Johana Pošová have had solo exhibitions at Čepan Gallery, Trnava, Slovakia (2023); Entrance gallery, Prague (2020); The Academy of Performing Arts, Prague (2018); Temporary Parapet, Bratislava (2018); Třinec City Gallery, Třinec, Czech Republic (2018); Ferdinand Baumann Gallery, Prague (2017); INI Gallery, Prague (2017); Syntax Gallery, Lisbon(2016); TIC Gallery, Brno, Czech Republic (2015); Berlin Model, Prague (2014).