The best contemporary art in the collections of emerging collectors

Jan Poupě, Eliška Konečná, Adam Kašpar, and Sabina Knetlová – these are only a few of the nearly thirty artists whose works will be on display at Pragovka Gallery from 17 to 21 January 2024. The exhibition will feature a selection of paintings, photographs, and sculptures acquired by graduates of the EduArt Experience educational programmes for their aspiring collections.

“Our intention is to show what is of interest to new collectors. During the EduArt lessons, they get to meet leading Czech and international experts, from curators to gallery owners and artists themselves, and thus gain the necessary information as well as cultivate their own taste,” says Barbora Půlpánová, founder of the EduArt Experience. The project was launched in 2021 with the aim of uncovering the behind-the-scenes workings of the art market and providing practical information on collecting. Its graduates have since purchased more than 15O works of art by contemporary artists spanning a variety of techniques. “The decisive factor for them is first and foremost whether they personally like the work or what idea it carries, as well as the investment aspect,” explains Půlpánová, adding that the EduArt PopUp beautifully shows the diversity of individual collectors’ preferences. Some of the works on display have already managed to appreciate in value over the course of three years.

EduArt graduates acquire art mainly through the galleries presented within the Start programme; they also find inspiration in art trips across the Czech Republic as part of the Roadshow, and club events include visits to artists’ studios and discussions with leading collectors. For the EduArt community, which now counts more than 100 members, it is essential to explore each link of the art ecosystem and actively support the art scene.

Pragovka Gallery is a partner of EduArt PopUp, providing its exhibition space for this purpose. “The beauty of Pragovka is its community character, so we are delighted to welcome new collectors and all friends of EduArt,” says Filip Zimovjan, representative of Pragovka Gallery, adding, “for the last day of the exhibition we have prepared a guided tour of selected studios of our resident artists.”

The artists represented include Ondřej Filípek, Petr Hajdyla, Milan Houser, Adéla Janská, Tomáš Jetela, Anna Jožová, Jan Kaláb, Adam Kašpar, Sabina Knetlová, Eliška Konečná, Hynek Martinec, Martin Matoušek, Michal Mráz, Samuel Paučo, Natalie Perkof, David Pešat, Ivan Pinkava, Jan Poupě, Ondřej Přibyl, Jakub Roztočil, Antonie Stanová, Ira Svobodová, Jakub Sýkora, Michal Škapa, Adam Štech, Jan Uldrych, Vladimír Véla, Zeb One.