Marek Schovánek
Born in Prague, raised in Canada, living in Berlin and once titled “the best unknown artist in the world”, the artist and curator Marek Schovánek manages to move lightly in the international art scene as well as in various media of artistic expression. His most typical trait can be found in his peculiar use of irony and provocation as instruments to criticise the mass consumption and destructiveness of Western societies. In 1998, he founded MANIFEST International - Foundation for Sustainable Art and Culture and since then has been internationally active as a curator in order to promote the cultural exchange between East and West.
From 1987 to 1990, Schovánek attended Grant McEwan University in Edmonton, Canada, and in 1990 he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Alberta, Edmonton. After completing his senior studio at the Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver, he returned to Prague in 1992 and has been working as an artist and curator in Berlin since 1993.
In 1998, Marek Schovánek founded MANIFEST International – Foundation for Sustainable Art and Culture. In the following years, he was internationally active as a curator. Here he promoted the cultural exchange between East and West.
In 1999, he opened the first noncommercial gallery in the former socialist Prague, “Gallery No D”, with the exhibition “The Last Underground”. In 1999, he presented the interactive exhibition with performance character “1999 – Beyond Art” at MANES Gallery of Modern Art Prague.
In 2000, he presented a retrospective of international young art in Berlin. The project “INTERZONE -Recycling the Future” showed a variety of trends in the fields of fine arts, literature, music, dance, performance and film for a month.
In 2001, he was invited to present international art from Berlin in Japan for “Energy Field – 1st Biennial for Art and Culture Biwako Hall”. In 2005, he curated the German contribution to the 1st Biennial of Contemporary Art at the National Gallery in Prague, which was rated by Richard Vine in the magazine “Art in America” as one of the best contributions to contemporary art of the year 2005.
Marek Schovánek lives, works and has a studio both in Berlin (since 1993) and Prague (since 1992).
Education
1987 • Fine Arts Degree Grant McEwan College Edmonton, Canada
1990 • Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree University of Alberta Edmonton, Canada
1991 • Senior Studio, Emily Carr College of Art and Design Vancouver, Canada
Solo exhibitions
2016 • Tempest of Vanity, European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Berlin, Germany
2015 • PROPAGANDA, DOX Center for Contemporary Art, Prague, Czech Republic
2015 • The Anarchist Cookie Shop, Arts Salon S, Dancing House, Prague
2014 • PHARMATOPIA, DOX Center for Contemporary Art, Prague, Czech Republic
2014 • Rotation, Spreeviera Gallery, Berlin, Germany
2014 • PHARMATOPIA / CANDYLAND, EPEKA Gallery, Maribor, Slovenia
2013 • CANDYLAND, Spreeviera Gallery, Berlin, Germany
2013 • Crystal Distorition, Spreeviera Gallery, Berlin, Germany
2012 • Hunter Gatherer, Spreeviera Gallery, Berlin, Germany
2012 • Above and Below, Spreeviera Gallery, Berlin, Germany
2009 • Steganography, Livio Nardi Gallery, Nürnberg, Germany
2009 • The Nightwatch, KroArt Gallery, Wien, Austria
2008 • SPEECH, Krokus Gallery, Bratislava, Slovakia
2007 • Fragmentation, Studio Glass Gallery, London, UK
2007 • Fragmentation, Canadian High Coundil, London, UK
2006 • Fragmentation, LeCoq Gallery, Berlin, Germany
2006 • 2. Tschechische Kulturtage | 2nd Czech Culture Days, Schlosskeller Emmendingen, Germany
2006 • Extended Painting, Double Solo – Goethe Institut and Czech Center, New York, USA
2006 • For the Love of Life, Gallery Micheliceva, Ptuj, Slovenia
2005 • The Prophit, Galerie der Künste, Berlin, Germany
2005 • Big Painting, Big Day Out, Sydney, Australia
2002 • white noise, Kraftwerk Gallery, Berlin, Germany
1998 • i.A, Camera Gallery, Berlin, Germany
1998 • Werkschau, Kunsthaus Tacheles, Berlin, Germany
1997 • Kunsthaus Tacheles, Berlin, Germany
1996 • Thermodynamic, Manes Gallery of Modern Art, Prague, Czech Republic
1995 • Le Manege Gallery, Berlin, Germany
1995 • Kunsthaus Tacheles, Berlin, Germany
1994 • Radost Gallery, Prague, Czech Republic
1993 • Bratří Čapků Gallery, Prague, Czech Republic
1993 • Works on Paper, Gallery K, Prague, Czech Republic
1992 • Re-Occuring Patterns, City Center Art Evo Gallery, Edmonton, Canada
1990 • Solo Exhibition, Vik Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Group exhibitions
2016 • The Soul of Money, DOX Center for Contemporary Art, Prague, Czech Republic
2016 • 8th Portakal Çiçeği Art Colony, Sapanca Doğapark Ankara, Turkey
2016 • POLITIC(S) Art Stays, Contemporary Art Festival Ptuj, Slovenia
2016 • Newrope, Nitrianska galéria, Nitra, Slovakia
2015 • Inter National Art, Galerija PM, HDLU, Zagreb, Croatia
2015 • Wunderkammer, Art Stays, Contemporary Art Festival Ptuj, Slovenia
2014 • Trout Cloud Swarm, Art Stays, Contemporary Art Festival Ptuj, Slovenia
2014 • Zukunst, Schloss in Valtice, Feldsberg, Czech Republic
2013 • Trust your Art Dealer, AERO KARLIN Gallery, Prague, Czech Republic
2013 • THE GESTURE, Serendipity Gallery, Berlin, Germany
2012 • Anarchist Cookie Shop, European Capital of Culture, Art Stays Maribor/Ptuj, Slovenia
2012 • Erinnerung an Arbeit Installation | Memory of Work, Weltkulturerbe Zollverein, Essen
2012 • Bei genauerem Hinsehen – Miniaturen, Serendipity Gallery, Berlin, Germany
2011 • 1. Ruhrbiennale, Düsseldorf, Germany
2011 • Galante, Galizia, Kawanabe, Schovánek, Livio Nardi Gallery, Nürnberg, Germany
2011 • Koridoor, Instanbul Art Fair, Turkey
2011 • Brandgefahr | Fire Hazard, Gallery KK, Berlin, Germany
2009 • Next Berlin Generation, Schuster Gallery, Miami, USA
2009 • S.O.S. Strategy of Survival, Concent Art, Berlin, Germany
2009 • Art Stays, City Hall and Ptuj Castle, Ptuj, Slovenia
2008 • Showroom Sans Souci Int., Dubai, UAE
2008 • International Triennale of Contemporary Art, National Gallery in Prague, Czech Republic
2008 • Villes lumières et autres atmosphères urbaines, Gallery 100 Titres, Brussels, Belgium
2008 • Ruhe. Bewegung. Chaos., Gallery KK, Berlin, Germany
2007 • Temporary, Emirates Towers, Dubai, UAE
2007 • Marek Schovánek, Index Show, Dubai, UAE
2007 • 49 Meisterwerke, RFA Gallery, Berlin, Germany
2006 • Manifest International, III. Berliner Kunst Salon, Berlin, Germany
2006 • Tischgesellschaften, Raab Gallery, Berlin, Germany
2006 • 6.6.6., Gallery Caesar, Olomouc, Czech Republic
2005 • Licht und Silber | Light and Silver, II. Berliner Kunst Salon, Berlin, Germany
2004 • Hicet nunc 2004, Commune Culturale, San Vito al Tagliamento, Italy
2003 • Werkschau, Berliner Kunstproject, Germany
2003 • Island of Light, Umspannwerk, Berlin, Germany
2002 • Intervento2, Cantieri Culturali alla Zisa, Palermo, Italy
2002 • Hicet nunc 2002, Villa Manin, San Vito al Tagliamento, Italy
2000 • Les yeux fertiles, Le Manège Gallery, Berlin, Germany
2000 • Trans Global, Manes Gallery of Modern Art, Prague, Czech Republic
1999 • Fragments, Ostrov Stranice, Prague, Czech Republic
1999 • The Memory of the Future, Le Manège Gallery, Postfuhramt Berlin, Germany
1998 • Werkschau, Kunsthaus Tacheles, Berlin, Germany
1997 • Schovanek/Giovangigli, Expace Commines Gallery, Paris, France
1997 • Greatings, Baccunst Gallery, Berlin, Germany
1996 • Schovanek/Giovangigli, Le Manège Gallery, Berlin, Germany
1996 • Werkschau, Kunsthaus Tacheles, Berlin, Germany
1996 • L’Europe De L’Est(e), Grange aux Belles, Paris, France
1996 • Artomic Art, Le Manège Gallery, Berlin, Germany
1995 • The Departmment of ARt, Berlin, Germany
1994 • Kokoro, Kunsthaus Tacheles, Berlin, Germany
1994 • Kunst in der Südlichen Waldstrasse, Karlsruhe, Germany
1993 • Kunsthaus Tacheles, Berlin, Germany
1993 • Salon Exhibition, Manes Gallery of Modern Art, Prague, Czech Republic
1993 • Lyra Pragensis Foundation, Prague, Czech Republic
1993 • CHRASTEN, Nove sdružení pražských malířů, Vyšehrad, Prague, Czech Republic
1992 • Art in the Castle, Castle Roztoky, Galerie H, Prague, Czech Republic
1991 • Figures in the Hall, City Center Art Evo Gallery, Edmonton, Canada
1991 • Double Bill, Schovanek/Ball, Vik Gallery, Canada
1991 • Canada Council Bank Blast, Alberta Vik Gallery, Canada
1991 • Summer Splash, Vik Gallery, Edmonton, Canada
1991 • Double Show, Stonecrop Gallery, Canmore, Canada
1990 • Canada Council Bank Blast, Alberta Vik Gallery, Canada
1990 • The Workd Exhibition: Big Painting, Vik Gallery, Canada
1990 • Emily Carr Graduation Show, Vik Gallery, Canada
1989 • AIDS Benefit Exhibit, Vik Gallery, Canada
1989 • Canada Council Art Blast, Vik Gallery, Canada
1989 • Fine ARts Building Drawing Show, FAB Gallery, University of ALberta, Edmonton, Canada
1989 • University of Alberta Graduate Show, Edmonton, Canada
Grants and awards
2007 • Canadian High Commission, London, UK
2006 • Goethe Institut, New York, USA
2006 • Czech Center, New York, USA
2000 • Goethe Institut, Prague, Czech Republic
1999 • Pro Helvetia, Prague, Czech Republic
1999 • Goethe Institut, Prague, Czech Republic
1998 • Open Society Fund, Czech Republic
1996 • Pro Helvetia, Prague, Czech Republic
1996 • Canadian Embassy Prague
1996 • Goethe Institut, Prague, Czech Republic
1994 • Czech Ministry of Culture, Prague, Czech Republic
1993 • Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Canada
1993 • Czech Arts and Science Foundation, Canada
1989 • Drawing Award FAB Gallery, Canada
Collections
Canadian Embassy Prague, Czech Republic
Canada Council Art Bank Ottawa, Canada
Vik Gallery Edmonton, Canada
Galerie K, Prague, Czech Republic
Manes Gallery of Modern Art, Prague, Czech Republic
Galerie Radost, Prague, Czech Republic
Brooker Foundation Calgary, Canada
Helmut Koppenhagen, Germany
National Gallery in Prague, Czech Republic
EPEKA Galerija Maribor, Slovenia
and other private and public collections worldwide.