František Felix↓

About the work

Burning House

The main motif of Burning House is a state of observation. Observing a constructed tragedy which works with multiple temporal planes. A conflict between dynamic flowing/flickering and a static installation that nevertheless consciously works with the visibility of the time of construction and manufacturing (process). František Felix creates an extreme situation underscored by the antagonistic presence of water, whose form nevertheless does not offer a usable solution. By its form, the water in the sink recalls the form of systematically offered aid or a solution that, flushed through an institutional form of reality, fails to be of use for the given situation.

The installation presents the viewer with a constantly updated situation of observing a tragic event that is almost obsessively worked and constructed into the form of a burning building. At the center of interest is the individual who must deal with it all. But the piece does not offer a possible way forward, no guidelines or solution. The emphasis on the presence of observation brings to mind Gauguin’s existential questions: Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?

When he was accepted to AVU, Felix set himself a goal to experiment and to explore various ways of looking at a particular topic. In this way, he has over time broken free of the classic form of the easel painting and gradually moved towards working with space, installations, and site-specific art. His choice of subject matter throughout his studies has been influenced by the urgency of the issues he has faced in any given situation. In his work to date, Felix has emphasized craftsmanship, contact with the material, and a focus on the individual within contemporary society.