Dominik Adamec

Artistic statement

Through my sculptural work, I ask naturalistic-philosophical-social questions, and use the variable motif of the ancient Chimera to formulate them. 

Who or what is a Chimera? 

*From a biological point of view, we can understand it as a symbiotic way of life for animals with their surroundings or with positive gene mutations.

*From a social point of view, it questions the origin and authenticity of man.

*Philosophically, the Chimera is not limited to a biological species, but is a symbol of unity and a starting point for thinking about yourself and the world around you.

Therefore, I do not depict the Chimera explicitly, but through internal physiology and the surrounding environment. Viruses, bacteria, fetishes, and optimized nature.

Paper and ceramics, with which I have been working for a long time, occupy an important place in my work. I like their haptic attributes as well as their symbolic meaning for humans. That is why I invented my own sculptural technique of working with paper, based on the principle of collage squeezed into a plaster mould. This allows me to work with the sculpture in a very flexible way.

Corpus, my paper sculptures, can be operated in different ways – I can implant objects called Adoptives into them, incorporate ink prints or Braille on the surface. However, this technique does not allow me to work with small formats. That is why, among other things, working with ceramics enables infantile expression and the ability to play with details.

Using childish aesthetics in the context of genetic or microbiological topics is a way to build internal conflict. Clay sculptures can thus be perceived either as laboratory pasquiles or as ritualistic idols: both act as a human effort to optimize the surrounding world.

The size and form characteristic of the Biomorphic Abstraction of the Corpus and the Biomorphic Realism of the clay idols is primarily influenced by my interest in medieval art and natural sciences.

I see my own studio work as a continuous learning process that is not limited to art or medium. It is important for me to be interested in the surrounding world, society and politics, and to incorporate this knowledge into my work. In my opinion, an interest in realizations of public space or volunteer service abroad is also an inseparable part of my sculptural practice.