Michal Macků – (IL)LUSIO

About

After a significant period, Czech audiences will once again have the opportunity to admire Macků’s unique gelage technique, which has earned him international acclaim. This year, Macků’s works will be displayed at only three prestigious venues: Kuala Lumpur, Prague, and Singapore.

Macků lives and works in Olomouc. He studied at the Faculty of Technology at the
Polytechnic Institute in Brno, and in 1989, completed his education at the Institute of
Art Photography in Prague, where he developed his signature gelage technique,
merging elements of gelatin and collage. Since then, he has exhibited extensively,
not only in the Czech Republic but also in Paris, London, and Tokyo, and his works
are held in prestigious international collections.

Macků is renowned for his ability to capture the essence of the human condition
through visual deconstruction and transformation. His work oscillates between
brutality and fragility, conveying tension and profound inner emotions. His gelages,
which often depict fragmented bodies and introspective visions, provide fresh
perspectives on human identity and internal struggles. The (IL)LUSIO exhibition will
present his artistic progression, from the expressive black-and-white compositions of
the 1990s to the spiritual and abstract works of recent years, including large-format
glass objects.

Macků’s gelages, which fuse seemingly incompatible elements, create a harmony
between the physical and the spiritual, between nature and the human psyche. Over
time, he has moved beyond the confines of paper, entering the third dimension—his
latest glass objects, monumental in size, evoke dreamlike landscapes. These works
immerse the viewer in an atmosphere suspended between dream and reality, matter
and thought.

The (IL)LUSIO exhibition offers a unique insight into the evolution of this exceptional
artist’s work. The exhibition opening will take place on October 16 at 6:00 PM at JSP
Art Gallery, Lázeňská 287/4, Prague 1 – Malá Strana.