Czech sculptor David Černý is set to present his first solo exhibition in Venice this spring, marking a major moment in his career.

Titled Artocalypsa, the show opens on May 6 and runs until November 6, 2026, alongside the 61st Venice Biennale.

The exhibition will take place at the former theatre Il Teatro dell’Arte (NuoveFondamenta) and brings together more than three decades of Černý’s work. Known for his provocative and often controversial public sculptures, the Prague-based artist explores themes of power, politics, and society’s uneasy relationship with violence and military imagery.

Černý first gained international attention in the early 1990s when he painted Prague’s Soviet tank monument bright pink—an act that quickly defined his reputation for bold, disruptive interventions. That same spirit runs throughout Artocalypsa, where satire and irony are used to challenge authority and question accepted narratives.

Pink Tank

Among the highlights is Entropa (2009), one of Černý’s most widely known works. Originally created for the Czech EU presidency, the installation sparked controversy after it was revealed that the supposed collaboration of artists from EU member states was, in fact, an elaborate hoax. The piece presents exaggerated national stereotypes, turning political commentary into biting visual satire.

The exhibition also revisits earlier works such as Guns (1993), which magnifies handguns to monumental scale, drawing attention to their design and aesthetic appeal while confronting their destructive purpose. In contrast, newer pieces like Nuke Chair (2025) introduce a more unsettling tone.

 

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Another section focuses on Černý’s Inventors/Scientists series, featuring large-scale portraits of figures such as Leonardo da Vinci, Wernher von Braun, and J. Robert Oppenheimer. Each played a role in advancing science and technology, but also contributed—directly or indirectly—to the development of weapons. The works raise questions about the fine line between innovation and destruction.

“Weapons have accompanied me throughout my life as a central and unavoidable phenomenon,” Černý said in a statement. “They stand at the peak of human technological achievement, yet represent its most destructive side.”

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