Saint Exupéry means to me a peculiar mixture of romanticism, spiritual rapture, revolt and protest against globalization and violence. When working on the project I visited places associated with his childhood – Saint Maurice de Rémens, Ambérieu, I flew in a small aircraft along his postal route between Agadir and Dakar, I re-read his works as well as various biographies. I found a person who had been sundered, poetic, tumultuous, preaching, erring, fighting, and rebellious. And yet so consistent in his expression, that one of the critics said of his work that “throughout his life he had been writing, in different forms, just one book.
All of my literary projects originate through a similar process – I try to find as much information as I can about the authors and visit the places where they lived and worked. I take in the place and their work and then create images somewhere between a dream landscape and abstraction, I basically photograph the author’s work as it is reflected in my mind.
The individual shots were taken in: Agadir, Ambérieu, Arrecife, Caserio de Tenesar, Ermita de Las Nieves, Galdar, Helfštýn, Jizerka, Lyon, Maspalomas, Melrose Abbey, Murano, Panenský Týnec, Ponta Delgada, Saint Maurice de Rémens, Skaftafellsjökull, Snaefellsjökull, Tademmante, Timanfaya, and Valašské Klobouky. The final processing, in contrast with the two previous projects, was fully based on combining photographs from different places, this time, also with a balanced share of traditional and ICM takes. In Exupéry, many well-known and new locations were combined into one big anthill from which I then drew the visualization for my final mindscapes. This was also the first time when I made sketches of the individual takes in preparation of the project, even though in most cases the final image departed from the sketch. Most of the takes for the project originated between November 2017 and June 2019, however, I also used older takes, for instance from Iceland.
The collection was awarded 3rd place at the MIFA – Moscow International Photo Awards 2019 and an honourable mention at the Fine Art Photography Awards 2019 in London.
The project was first exhibited between November 11th, 2019 and Dec 15th, 2019 in the Gallery of Art Critics (Galerie kritiků) in Prague.
SONG FOR AKLIN, THE KNIGHT – OTHER THEMES
SONG FOR AKLIN, THE KNIGHT – SKETCHES
FRANCE, MOROCCO, LANZAROTE, GRAN CANARIA – KEY PROJECT PLACES
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It is really awesome to see you grow, emotionally, professionally and as a human. Thank you for the experience.
Lída Nutilová
The encounter with your photos inspired by the works of A. de Saint-Exupéry was a profound and inspiring experience.
J.B.K.
The harmony of the individual layers in your images resonates with something within us. Thank you for your “work”, Vladimír.
Martina Tomková
Vladimír,
unfortunately, I could not make it to the opening nor to the guided tour, but I could not miss the exhibition as such. And good for me. I even had it all to myself! And could enjoy it perfectly. It is beautiful, I think the most beautiful of your exhibitions to date. The pictures are splendid, one better than the next. Fabulous works! You are a great artist. Just keep it up! Wishing you lots of similar success!
Eva Neumannová
IT WAS SUPER, thank you.
Melichárci
What is important is invisible to the eyes! We can only see properly with our heart… It was beautiful.
Věra
Last Friday we went to Prague, we stayed overnight at our daughter’s place and on Saturday morning, Renata and I went to see your exhibition. I often look at your website, nevertheless, the reality was absolutely incomparable. To be honest, I have never properly read Saint-Exupéry, perhaps started the Little Prince and never finished it, but honestly, I don’t even know why. What I have seen here, were materialized dreams and feelings that pierced through the reality of reason.
In any case, I take my hat off to your work, and I wonder where you get the energy…
It was slightly amusing that on Saturday, the gallery was also hosting some kind of a show of the Prague Hyperbeast brand and so there were many teenagers. And then the two of us weirdos in the dream world.
Vlasta Dytrt
I liked it a lot here, the museum, and gardens, and stuffed animals
L.
In my view, the best of the trilogy.
Milan Kopecký
