Not currently on display at the V&A

Stairs, Česky Ráj

Photograph
2015
Artist/Maker

Tereza Zelenkova is a Czech-born artist known for her imaginative exploration of mysticism. She is inspired by literature and philosophy, but also values intuition and coincidence as essential guides in her creative process. Zelenkova’s work peels back the layers of myth that build up over time, interrogating the historical past of places and people, probing at folklore and imparting a modern sense of Surrealism onto familiar things, such as the grave of Georges Bataille, the Moravian cave of Byci Skala, or a statue by Michelangelo in the V&A’s cast courts.

Zelenkova holds a BA in Photographic Arts from the University of Westminster and an MA in Photography from the Royal College of Art. She is the recipient of multiple awards, including the Jerwood Photoworks Award (2015), and was a finalist of the ING Unseen Talent Award (2016). Her work has been exhibited at numerous galleries and museums worldwide, including Whitechapel Gallery in London, Le Bal in Paris and Musée de l’Élysée in Lausanne. Zelenkova has published three monographs, in which images are accompanied by her own writings.


Object details

Category
Object type
TitleStairs, Česky Ráj (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Gelatin Silver Print
Brief description
Photograph by Tereza Zelenkova, 'Stairs, Česky Ráj', 2015. Gelatin Silver Print, 90 x 70cm, edition of 3.
Physical description
Black and white photograph depicting sandstone stairs in the centre of the frame leading to shadow. On either side of the stairs are sandstone walls. The location of the stairs, Česky Rá, is located in Czechia.
Dimensions
  • Height: 90cm
  • Width: 70cm
Gallery label
Known and Strange: Photographs from the Collection (2021-2022) Photography Centre, Gallery 101 Tereza Zelenková (born 1985) Giuliano de Medici by Michelangelo, V&A, London, 2013 Tripod, Meridian Hall, 2016 Byčí Skála Cave, 2011 in collaboration with Peter Watkins (born 1984) Georges Bataille’s Grave, Vèzelay, 2013 Stairs, Česky Ráj, 2015 The Unseen, 2015 Tereza Zelenková is known for her imaginative explorations of mysticism. She is inspired by literature and philosophy, but also values intuition and coincidence as essential guides in her creative process. Zelenková’s work peels back the layers of myth that build up over time. Her photographs demonstrate how she interrogates the past, probing at folklore and overlaying a modern sense of surrealism onto objects that are loaded with history. Gelatin silver prints Purchase funded by the Photographs Acquisition Group Museum nos. E.217-2018 to E.222-2018
Credit line
Purchase funded by the Photographs Acquisition Group
Summary
Tereza Zelenkova is a Czech-born artist known for her imaginative exploration of mysticism. She is inspired by literature and philosophy, but also values intuition and coincidence as essential guides in her creative process. Zelenkova’s work peels back the layers of myth that build up over time, interrogating the historical past of places and people, probing at folklore and imparting a modern sense of Surrealism onto familiar things, such as the grave of Georges Bataille, the Moravian cave of Byci Skala, or a statue by Michelangelo in the V&A’s cast courts.

Zelenkova holds a BA in Photographic Arts from the University of Westminster and an MA in Photography from the Royal College of Art. She is the recipient of multiple awards, including the Jerwood Photoworks Award (2015), and was a finalist of the ING Unseen Talent Award (2016). Her work has been exhibited at numerous galleries and museums worldwide, including Whitechapel Gallery in London, Le Bal in Paris and Musée de l’Élysée in Lausanne. Zelenkova has published three monographs, in which images are accompanied by her own writings.
Collection
Accession number
E.222-2018

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Record createdDecember 11, 2017
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