Artist
David Černý
Artist
Part of events on ArtRabbit in: Berlin, Büdelsdorf, Prague
David Černý (1967) lives and works in Prague. He studied at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague (1988-1996) and during this time also completed the Whitney Museum Independent Study Program and the P.S.1 Artists’ residence in New York. In the last twenty years he has established himself as one of the most renowned artists and also the most visible media personalities in the Czech Republic as well as gaining an increasing international reputation. A self-confessed anti-conformist, Cerny’s work is often controversial and has led to fractious relationships with not only the art establishment but also government authorities. Nonetheless, Cerny’s work is held by institutions all over the world and he has had solo exhibitions in Prague, Berlin, London and the USA. In 2000 Černý received the Jindřich Chalupecký Award for the country’s most promising visual artist aged 35 or younger. Previously, in 1990, he had received a special prize at the Biennale in Kortrijk, Belgium. During 1996 he won a grant from the Pollack Krasner Foundation in the USA. His most notable permanent installations include St Wenceslas (1999) Lucerna Arcade, Babies on the Tower (2001) Zizkov Tower, Piss (2004) in Prague and Metalmorphosis (2007) Charlotte, USA. He is the founder and director of Meet Factory, a multi media and cultural artists’ residential centre in Prague. Cerny´s public realizations have become attractions bringing controversy and irony. His Entropa, created to mark the Czech presidency of the European Union Council during the first half of 2009, attracted controversy both for its stereotyped depictions of the various EU member states. For the 2012 Summer Olympics Černý created the "London Booster" - a double decker bus with mechanical arms for doing push-ups and became a symbol of the London Olympics.
