ALL THE ROTTEN FRUITS OF HEAVEN

All the Rotten Fruits of Heaven

The exhibition project by Josef Kovář, All the Rotten Fruits of Heaven, explores the transparency and simultaneous inaccessibility of various cultural worlds and communities that are largely controlled, regulated, or “gatekept” by their operators and co-creators. These environments often surround themselves with an aura of exclusivity and mystique that helps construct their prestige and apparent unattainability. At the same time, this mechanism produces barriers that are particularly strongly felt by marginalized or otherwise disadvantaged individuals who, by default, already face limited opportunities to access these cultural or professional spheres.

One of the inspirations for the project is the phenomenon of the so-called Paris syndrome—a temporary psychological reaction experienced by some tourists confronted with the gap between the idealized media image of a city and its lived reality. In this context, Paris becomes a metaphor for a “heaven on earth,” whose image is constructed through media and cultural representation, while the actual experience can bring disappointment and frustration. A similar mechanism of idealization followed by confrontation with reality can be observed in other “gated” worlds—such as the realms of fashion, music, or contemporary art—where carefully constructed images often conceal complex and sometimes problematic structures of power, labour, and representation.

The installation operates through two primary layers. The first is a gate or curtain—a subtle spatial barrier functioning as a symbolic portal. It allows viewers to glimpse what lies beyond, yet never fully comfortably or clearly. The second layer consists of a still-life installation composed of real fruit, referencing the traditional artistic genre of still life. Through the natural process of decay, however, this static composition transforms into a time-based installation.

Curator: Karin Písaříková