IN(TIME)

The exhibition IN(time) by Amálka Ľudmila Valenčíková is an invitation to the artist’s intimate inner world which is interwoven with feelings, love, and a deep maternal passion.

The exhibition presents a set of soft sculptures, embroidered paintings and objects combined from non-traditional materials, with the use of textiles referring both to women's vulnerability and to the strength of perseverance in the everyday search for the self. The selected material is important in terms of touch – both that of the artist during the creative process and the "remembered" touch of the viewer. The works predominantly feature white fabrics which convey several symbolic meanings - as a blanket which covers the bed, the site of birth and death; as a tablecloth on which Sunday lunch is served; as a curtain that separates the interior from the exterior; as a traditional wall board with angel embroidery; as an altar cloth or a bridal dress. It is also a reminder of the interior of the house of the artist’s grandparents, where life flowed quietly and naturally. The bond which the artist felt to her grandmother is especially important in her work. The memory of this woman - mother - grandmother is confronted with the artist’s own experiences of motherhood. Childbirth represents a turning point in a woman's life that becomes a milestone which separates the “before” and the “after”. A child is not only a joyful addition to the family, but also a burden of responsibility, a new personality that makes ruthless demands upon its mother. Biologically conditioned but often not immediately apparent, motherly love is the only way to overcome the mountain of new responsibilities. Sacrificing one's time and body is part of a new role that is both simplified and undervalued in social discourse. A woman's body becomes a paradise, a vessel that is worn out by the act of giving. How can a mother forgive the child that she loves for the fact that she is no longer how she once was? In her works, the artist deals with the topic of the acceptance of physical transformation, the weakening of the skin, the loss of the solidity of form. Soft sculptures allow her to express the mass of the body with the added value of psychological meanings. The artist’s emotional statements are complemented by lyrical poetry which she writes into space and time as part of the installation and performance. The connection of words and objects creates a specific atmosphere of a unique female experience which, although shared directly, can never be fully understood.

Mgr. art. Katarína Balúnová, ArtD.