Viki Kollerová, b.1984, Slovak
•
Exploring the countless ways humans can connect with the forms of nature has been at the core of Viki Kollerová's self-portraits for nearly two decades.
The monochromatic blending of human body and the natural environment reflects the desire to belong, fill in an empty space or completely disappear in the momentary unity of the incompatible.
With the medium of photography, the artist is able to create carefully composed surreal scenes that remain firmly rooted in reality.
Due to the performative character of her approach, the works become intimate recollections of her encounters with the world in its raw, natural form.
•
Born in Czechoslovakia, into a family of a plant virologist and an internationally recognised climber. Parent's lifestyle, closely connected to the outdoors, nurtured a strong bond with nature from an early age.
After completing her MA in Translation and Interpretation in 2008, Kollerová entered postgraduate studies focused on linguistic semantics - the study of meaning - but soon realised, that no words could compete with the eloquence of an image.
Exploring her newly discovered passion for photography was like learning a new language - one that can easily convey meaning without boundaries, like Esperanto.
Her first solo show in 2012, Tied To My Own Strings featured a collection of nude portraits staged in a self-inflicted confinement of a small apartment. The female figure explores the limitations of the domestic space, looking for imaginative escape routes.
The theme of confinement reappear as well in her subsequent series Stuck, despite moving her subject out into the open air. Photographing in nature initially brought to Kollerová’s work a sense of vulnerability and helplessness of the human being, appearing small within the vast surroundings.
Her nude figure literally disappears throughout the exhibition NoBody, presented at The Museum of Slovak National Uprising alongside photographer Tono Stano in 2015.
She creates a light-hearted dialogue with the viewer by playing hide-and-seek in her pictures. With humour as a strong ally, the young woman tries to subvert the predominantly sexualised perception of the female nude, gently pushing the observer toward recognising the innate innocence of the naked human form.
In 2020, eleven works from Kollerová’s series Silver Island were selected by Fotografiska Museum for the exhibition NUDE, which first opened in Stockholm in 2021 and later travelled to New York, Berlin and Tallinn Museums. With the subtitle - The Naked Body In Contemporary Photography, the exhibition featured around 30 artists from different countries, exploring the nude from a feminine perspective.
Silver Island series (2019-2022) marks a positive shift in Kollerová’s approach to her subject. She moves away from the depiction of human struggle, so heavily present throughout her previous work.
‘My human being is no longer trapped or overwhelmed by the immensity of the environment, but a natural part of it.’
‘By finding comfortable poses in uncomfortable places and mimicking the shapes of geological formations and trees, I invite the viewer to see the human, represented by my physical body in both its strength and vulnerability, as perfectly fitting to the all-embracing roughness of nature.’
Stillness at High Speed, Silver Island