Tatiana Takáčová

It might sound a little odd

The exhibition titled “It might sound a little odd” tells a visual story that challenges conventional perspectives and expectations. The audience is invited to be drawn into the unfolding action and to approach the individual photographic images as clues with an open mind and ready to explore unknown territories.

The artist’s project reflects her long-term interest in the psychological aspects of human experience and the concept of temporality. The ideological starting point is the German concept of fernweh, which refers to the longing, melancholy, or sadness an individual feels for places they have never been to. The artist interprets this concept on two levels. A historical one, where melancholy for the world, social systems, and stories that are irretrievably gone come to the fore. We learn about them by studying historical documents or examining contemporary photographs and their interpretation. In this case, there is often a romanticization and idealization of the period. The second level is related to the future and the experience of an inner longing to discover and search for the promised land. This metaphorical journey resonates deeply with human experience and embodies the deepest desires, aspirations, and ideals. Whether it is a search for a physical place or a sense of fulfillment or belonging in our lives, the idea of a promised land has appeared in religious texts, visual art, theatre, and literature throughout history and across cultures.

Thus, in the author’s photographic series, the landscape, its reconstruction, and the almost obsessive search for the ideal place embody inner desires. Takáčová digitally experiments with the image, manipulating analog photography, using renders and historical footage, and creating collages. The exhibition features an unknown researcher who invites us to explore an indeterminate territory where the past meets the present. A black-and-white landscape photograph dominates the show, referencing the artist’s analytical thinking and mystification. It is unclear whether the image we see is a deconstruction of the original landscape or an attempt to reconstruct it.

Tracing the stories of historical expeditions, landscape archetypes, and fauna research through the pseudo-analysis of entire continents via maps and geological layers of mountain ranges leads us to water surfaces and horizons, which evoke a sense of embarking on a voyage to a desired destination. Ultimately, the search for a promised land serves as a reminder of the power of hope, resilience, and faith in a better future. It encourages us to embark on our journeys, explore new horizons, and not lose sight of the possibility of finding our version of the desired land, which may even stem from a desire to preserve the world as we know it.

Tatiana Takáčová (*1987) is a visual artist who, through the medium of photography – in the form of documentary, diary entries, staged photography, and installation, deals with psychological and sociological themes, contemporary phenomena, and temporality in the photographic image. In her work, she moves between conceptual and documentary photography. She studied photography at the Department of Photography and New Media at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava, where she is currently a PhD student. Since 2022, she has also been a curator at KAIR Košice Artists in Residence. She has participated in many exhibitions in Slovakia and abroad.

The exhibitions of this gallery are supported using public funding by the Slovak Arts Council. 

The Slovak Arts Council is the main partner of the project.