START POINT PRIZE – Prize for emerging artists

The work Pavel Sterec is presenting is a follow-up on several previous projects in which the artist investigated the environment, hierarchy and internal structure of communication in various interest groups that often view themselves as elite clubs, but most of the public considers eccentrics. Now Sterec is connecting two aspects that everyone is very familiar with: First, contrary to what people primarily claim, freedom of choice is not a frequent phenomenon; it is just an advantage. It could just as easily be paralyzing and frustrating – as the old ch saying goes, “you can’t sit down to two different feasts at the same time”. Secondly, it sheds light on a prevalent contradiction that is shared among hobby fans: the exclusivity of their interest and the desire that society at large confirm this exclusivity. In the end we can pose the question: What would have to change and what would society look like if breeding small birds was not only a broadly accepted and shared activity, but even a cornerstone for everything? (Ondřej Chrobák)