Optics, Movement and Light. Visionary Milan Dobeš in Contrast with Contemporary Authors
Diverse generations of artists, differing curatorial perspectives, and one theme that connects them. Gallery Gong in Dolní Vítkovice presents the exhibition Light – A Tribute to Milan Dobeš. Its first part returns to the visionary work of Milan Dobeš, who since the turn of the 1950s and 1960s has brilliantly combined optics, geometry, movement, light, and space. The second part shows how ten contemporary artists work with light, optical illusion, and space. The curators of Dobeš's section are Jan Světlík and Zdeněk Sklenář, while the contemporary authors were selected by curator Lenka Lindaurová.
- The exhibition juxtaposes two artistic generations separated by decades, yet united by an interest in the possibilities of human vision, light, space, movement, and the variability of the image. Dobeš's work does not appear as a closed chapter in the history of art. The principles he experimented with over half a century ago find new ways of expression in contemporary art.
- The work of Milan Dobeš, who passed away last year, belongs to significant chapters of European constructivism, op-art, and kinetic art. Since the late 1950s, he developed his own visual language based on light, movement, geometry, and space. He did not perceive the artwork as a closed and unchanging object, but as an open concept that enters into a relationship with its surroundings and with the viewer, the observer.
The first part of the exhibition, curated by Jan Světlík, focuses primarily on one of the defining principles of Dobeš's work. The center, axis, and core in his works organize space and simultaneously set it in motion. Circles, squares, the contrast of full and empty, repetition, and rhythm create structures that literally draw the viewer into the author's work.
For the first time, the entire series Central Attraction, consisting of eight graphics, will be exhibited. Visitors to Gallery Gong can thus premiere the way Dobeš worked with series arrangements and variations on the theme of simple geometric elements.
The second part of the exhibition changes perspective. Curator Lenka Lindaurová selected ten contemporary authors who work with light, optics, and their meanings through various media and techniques. The tribute to Milan Dobeš's work lies in the opportunity to perceive how light figures in the works of contemporary authors. While Dobeš experimented with the scientific and technical possibilities of his time in the 1960s, contemporary artists have access to modern techniques, digital technologies, and new means of expression.
The exhibition features works by Michael Delia, Eva Eisler, Daniel Hanzlík, Václav Krůček, Jan Nálevka, Míla Preslová, Jaroslav Prokeš, Martin Prokopovič, Tereza Severová, and Ján Vasilko.
Light in their works sometimes becomes the very artistic medium, while at other times it arises through reflections, shadows, or optical illusions. In other works, it takes on a strongly symbolic meaning.
For example, Jaroslav Prokeš created a specific installation titled Event Horizon directly for the space of Gallery Gong, where light transforms the empty space into a visual artwork. Tereza Severová, in a new photographic cycle, works with mirrors, landscapes, and the human body, drawing direct inspiration from Dobeš's work Movement of Light in Space. Eva Eisler uses frosted glass, which diffuses light and changes the character of the object depending on the space and the viewer's perspective. Martin Prokopovič created 3D minimalist structures reminiscent of spatial jazz scores. Václav Krůček employs entertainment pyrotechnics in his creations. Michael Delia, Jan Nálevka, and Míla Preslová address serious themes of existence, threat, and the future of civilization through light. Daniel Hanzlík presents black-and-white captures of mental processes, blending chance with manipulation, movement with stillness. Ján Vasilko exhibits the painting Storm from a new series, where everything levitates under the influence of a tornado, presenting an originally terrifying scene from a different perspective, as a moment of new beginnings.
Each of the artists present at Gong in Ostrava is inspiring in their own right, and the overall exhibition Light – A Tribute to Milan Dobeš fascinates. It shows that the experiment with human perception is far from being a closed topic. The contrast between visionary Dobeš and the contemporary works of dozens of prominent creators resonates as a dialogue.
The exhibition will run until 6 December 2026. Gallery Gong is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm.
CONTACT FOR MEDIA:
Eva Kijonková, media representative of Gallery Gong, tel. 721 857 097
