Krištof Kintera

Kristof Kintera belonged to the most distinctive personalities of the last generation from the very beginning of his studies. IT from 1996 is his first outstanding project. This ”pet” from painted laminate became Kintera`s inseparable companion, accompanying his master everywhere he came; when shopping, in the underground, etc. It featured most principles appearing in Kintera`s work up to now: an inventive object, drawing the author and the audience into another (a little bit weird) world. Kintera continues developing communication between his life and a fictitious person in his next work Plumbman (1995-1998). A complex piece of work includes action, corresponding documentation, separate objects but the whole installation, as well. It is the communicating of fine arts, performance and theatre settings that is quite in the character of Kintera`s independent work, and of actions and theatre performances of Jednotka/Unit, Kintera being a leading artist there. Having introduced a number of performances and happenings since 1992, Jednotka constitutes an open creative unit, activities of which gradually passed to visual and multi-media performances, verging on experimental theatre.

Appliances (1997-98) and Talkmen(1999) are no doubt among most outstanding works of the artist. Being perfectly shaped for easy manipulation, and looking splendidly and efficiently, they suffer from the only point – they are useless. They just use up energy. Nevertheless, their mimicries being perfect in a shop-window, they look very alluring, attracting attention with their high prices. It is a metaphorical resemblance of art, suggesting itself to us. Concerning Talkmen (1999), Kintera gets thought of the nature of art and life, and consumer society going the same way. Also following objects and installations deal with these topics, whether it is a moving shopping bag (I’am Sick of It All!, 2003), or an electric hand drill copulating with a vacuum cleaner (Conflict of interest, 2004), or a little boy beating his head against the wall (Revolution, 2005). All the Kintera`s works being technically elaborate, they can move, speak; can be smoking and sparkling. Not only is the author very scrupulous about their appearance, function and message, but also about their mechanism.

Performances with the Unit:

2002 “Talkmen”

2000 "Ikebana"

1998 "Live”

"Mr. TV"

"Art Dealer"

1997 "An Argument"

1996 "From the bush”

1994 "Explosion"

"STOP"

"A Walk",

"The Bible",

1993 "Message in the bottle"

"The Granary”

"The Picnic"

"Things"

"The Fly"

Other Projects:

2007 Curating group exhibition: “Gross Domestic Product” at Prague City Gallery

Designing media campaign and interior design for Prague Quadrennial 2007

2005 Designing promo boot for Prague Quadrennial 2007

2 sculptures for National Museum, exhibition Golden Age of Media

creating media campaign and Tv spot for “One World” – international documentary film festival

2004 working as graphic designer for several art institutuions like Goethe Institut Prague, Prague Quadriennale, Prague City Gallery etc.

2002 creating TV advert for National Theatre – Looks of Contemporary Drama

1999–01 founding venue and working as an artistic director in alternative multicultural space UNIVERSAL NOD in Prague, www.universalnod.cz

2001 designing stage design and acting in theatre performance “Passanger” of Jednotka/Unit /performed: Czech rep., Slovakia, Chroatia, Germany, more: www.jednotka.cz

1999 designing stage design and acting in theatre street performance “The Life of Fantasy” of Jednotka/Unit /performed in 1999-2000 Czech rep., Slovenia, Italy, Ukraine, Lithuania, Chroatia, Germany/, touring 1999-2002

2000 designing and making Internet café interior for Café 9.net

1998 designing multimedia theatre project “Strange things” of Jednotka/Unit /performed in theatre Alfred ve Dvore – Prague and theatre festival Kolin 1998-9/

1996 stage design in Dejvicke theatre – Prague

Marta Smolíková, “Interior vs. Exterior”, catalogue Interior vs. Exterior or On the Border of (possible) Wordls 1996

Jiří and Jana Ševčík, “Dispersed concentration”, catalogue Abstrakt/Real, Wien 1996

Teresa Bruthansová, “They live with us”, magazine Atelier, 1997

Anna Potocka, catalogue Germination X, 1998

Karolína Fabelová, “To a další věci” – interview, Umění a řemesla, 2/1998

Christoph Blase, “Luxemburger pluralismus”, Kunst-Bulletin, September 1998

Michal Koleček, Interview - “Revue Labyrint n.5-6 – kultura velkoměst”, September 1999

Radek Wohlmut, „Na počátku bylo slovo“, Lidové Noviny /Umění a kritika/ 21.11. 1999

Lenka Lindauerová, Magazine Artist, 2000

Karel Císař, catalogue Bohemian birds, Kunst – Haus, Dresden

Lev Nikolajevich Yednotkin, “White ware”, catalogue Abstrakt/Real, Triennale Kleinplastik Fellbach, 2001

Lenka Nejezchlebová, Lidové Noviny, magazín Pátek, leden 2001

Olga Malá, catalogue Corps et traces, 2002 editions Hazan, Paris

Karel Srp, Dějiny umění 12, 2002, Praha

Michal Nanoru, interwiew, Živel č.23, červen 2003 Praha

Amiel Grumberg, Beaux Arts-magazine, april 2004 issue, Paris

Jana Chytilová, interwiew, Tiime-in magazine, březen 2005, Prague

Sylvie Petráková, “Performance domácích spotřebičů”, Lidové noviny, 28.2.2005, Prague

Petr Šourek, „Kinterovi roboti ožili a mají se k světu, Respekt, březen 2005

Lenka Nejezchlebová, Lidové Noviny, magazín Pátek, 25.3. 2005

Flash Art, vol. 1, Czech and Slovak Edition, interview with Erik Binder

Time IN, květen 2007, interview with Marek Gregor

Art & Antiques, červen 2007, interview with Karolina Jirkalová

Magazin Tyden, 24/2007, interview with Karolina Vránková

MF Dnes, 11.08. 2007, interview with Vladimira Šumberová

Volker Adoplhs, catalogue “Going, staying”, Kunstumuseum Bonn, 2007