Limited edition – WWC #2

About the work

The photograph of a hibiscus against a softly shifting background draws on the tradition of still life, yet transforms it into a pure visual study. It does not depict an object but focuses on the image itself, its form and aesthetics. The picture is part of the artist’s project Whole World Catalogue, a visual inventory of the human desire to have the world named, accessible and organized. Yet every pursuit of perfection is also a prelude to loss. The flower, beautiful and motionless, suspended in timelessness, stands on the threshold between life and its image, between reality and what photography makes of it.

Bio

Václav Kopecký graduated with a master’s degree from the Photography Studio of Hynek Alt and Aleksandra Vajd at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague, and earned his bachelor’s degree from the Photography Studio of Pavel Baňka at the Faculty of Art and Design, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem. In 2019, he obtained his Ph.D. in Fine Arts from the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague. From 2020 to 2024, he co-led the Applied Photography Studio with Jiří Thýn at the Faculty of Art and Design, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, and since 2024 he has been co-leading the Fine Art Studio IV (Lens Based Art) with Jiří Thýn at UMPRUM. He lives and works in Prague.