Ondřej Brody
The work of Ondřej Brody (1980), a graduate from the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, has been characterized as Conceptual Neo-Dada. Oscillating between use and abuse, advanced manipulation and cold untouchable registration of absurd reality, his work is truly critical and sincere in its desire to uncover the pathologies and hidden normalcies of inter-human relations. Brody creates surprisingly delicate and sensitive video, and also stages provocatively exposed events and installations. Brody tirelessly searches for social taboos in order to confront viewers with works that tend to repel in the feelings of discomfort they conjure up.
Conceptual provocateur Brody finds the grotesque aspects of both institutionalized art world and the very phenomena of art production itself. His strategy is obvious and almost embarrassing in its literacy and straightforwardness but apparently that is his strongest aspect. Their issues and targets are elemental as well: everyday ethics, not to say moral code booklets, become their source of subject-matter like vocabulary. The most radical work will include Dog carpets. In order to uncover and illustrate the contradictions and false morality on domestic animals and hunting fetish, Brody and Kristofer Paetau used three dogs and cats – to make carpets. The idea for his pieces—the first of which were created in Bolivia—was inspired by the municipal response to an over-population of stray dogs in La Paz: a weekly execution of 100 dogs captured a government organization. Brody traveled to La Paz and received permission to use 10 of the sacrificed dogs for an arts installation. "It was a perfect paradox," he explains. "A hunting carpet from a dog that is being hunted by society."