If There’s a Common Thread - Vol. 4
BUNKER
AT THE PHOTOGETHER GALLERY, NOV 2024
"WE’RE LIVING TOGETHER, EATING TOGETHER, ARGUING, MAKING UP. THAT BLEEDS INTO THE WORK. THE ART IS INSEPARABLE FROM THE LIFE THAT HAPPENS AROUND IT."
Time in bunker: November 17–27
Opening ceremonies: November 28–30
Exhibition open until: December 8, 2024
Curator/Storyteller: Evan Karas
Artists:
Atanáz Babinchak, Bence Bánhidi-Rózsa, Dachi-Giorgi Garuchava, Dicky Luckerson, Enikő Váczy, Lara-Jo Riva, Marco Miller, Réka Horváth, Sandra Bayer, Szabó-Sáfrány Hanna, Vito Baumüller, Yixue Zhao
Photo of Bence Bánhidi-Rózsa by Atanáz Babinchak
In BUNKER, 13 artists from Austria, Germany, Hungary, China, the United States, and Georgia lived and worked under extraordinary conditions within the Photogether Gallery, housed in an atomic bunker in Zlín, Czech Republic. This space was more than just a venue—it became a self-contained microcosm. Isolated from the outside world and devoid of natural day-night cycles, the bunker fostered a surreal environment where monotony and unpredictability were heightened. Nightly forums became a cornerstone of this parallel society.
WORKS BY ARTISTS
ATANÁZ BABINCHAK - STUDY FOR KAMA
DICKY LUCKERSON - FRESCO
NEST - DACHI-GIORGI GARUCHAVA AND HANNA SZABÓ-SÁFRÁNY
MARCO MILLER - A TOWER
VITO BAUMÜLLER - HALF AUTO QUEEN MACHINE
LARA-JO RIVA - LANDSCAPE GARDENER
BENCE BÁNHIDI-RÓZSA - UNTITLED
YIXUE ZHAO - HELL STORE
ENIKŐ VÁCZY - WHEN YOU’RE WATCHING US
RÈKA HORVÁTH - SHINY DEGENERATING HORSE
HANNA SZABÓ-SÁFRÁNY - MULTIPLIED BY
SANDRA BAYER - UNTITLED
Photo Credits:
Atanáz Babinchak - Study for Kama, Half Auto Queen Machine, Hell Store
Viola Hubáčková - Nest, Multiplied by
“Maybe real metamorphosis is about finally accepting that some things are impossible. But that doesn't mean we stop trying. It’s like... you know you’ll never reach the horizon, but you still walk toward it. Maybe that’s the point—embracing the impossibility and still going forward, even if just to see how far you get.”
The artists navigated this experience with limited opportunities to leave the bunker, relying on meditative and creative tasks inspired by Pauline Oliveros' Sonic Meditations and Yoko Ono's Grapefruit. These tasks, ranging from shouting at walls to holding imaginary conversations with statues, challenged them to connect with themselves and their surroundings. This journey brought the artists closer to one another than ever before, making BUNKER the most strange, honest, and transformative chapter in the If There’s a Common Thread exhibition series.
THE FOUR DAY OPENING CEREMONY
The ten days of artistic immersion culminated in an exhibition showcasing works created within the bunker. This was accompanied by a small scale cultural festival spanning four days. As the outside world entered this unique microcosm 15 meters below the ground, it embraced the full spectrum of raw human experience—with all its tension, harmony, ecstasy and love.
Photos by Atanaz Babinchak
PERFORMANCES
FRAGMENTS FROM THE ENDGAME
JÚLIA GOMBKÖTŐ AND FANNI MÉSZÁROS
SHAMAN
ELIAS FRANZISKUS GRÜNER
NEVERNOTWORKING
BRUTA AND LAUREN SLATER
SECRETLY I AM…
SANDRA BAYER
HELL
DALMA BORENICH AND POLÁNYI PETRA
MUD-FIGHT SHOW
UKBAC (ELE GARUCHAVA)
Video Credits:
Atanáz Babinchak - Hell, Shaman, Mud-Fight Show
Mátyás Czeglédi - Fragments from the Endgame
FILM SCREENING
BUNKER
BENCE BANHIDI-ROZSA AND SZŐNYI MÁTÉ
EXISTENCE
GLORIA VIKTORIA REGOTZ
LAUNDRY DETERGENT
JAKE BRUSH
CADUCEUS
BAJUSZ ADRIAN
Photos by Atanáz Babinchak
DJ SETS
44 Files Collective - Maxim Klement - S.tian -
44 Files Collective - Maxim Klement - S.tian -
Photos by Viola Hubáčková
FINAL FORUM
The event concluded with a final forum led by art historian Anna Zsoldos, bringing together artists and visitors to discuss and reflect.
Timestamps:
00:04:45 – History of Zlín and Utopian Cities
00:11:00 – Rules and Social Structure in the Bunker
00:17:43 – The Bunker's Effect on One's Own Perception
00:31:15 – Balancing Art for Self vs. Market Expectations
00:40:15 – Relationship Between the Individual and the Collective
00:52:30 – Group Dynamics and Creating in the Bunker
01:06:50 – Reaction to the Show
01:09:00 – What is the Common Thread and Criticism
01:12:50 – The Power of Individuality in Art
01:17:30 – What was the Aim?
01:22:25 – Breathing Life into the Space
01:31:40 – Art History and Manifestos
"We’re adapting to the bunker like it's another artist in the room, pushing back, influencing the pieces. It’s impossible to separate the art from this place."
THANK YOU TO OUR PROJECT PARTNERS
THANK YOU TO OUR WINE SPONSORS
MEDIA MENTIONS
PROJECT TEAM:
Storyteller/Curator: Evan Karas
Main Organizers: Kateřina Lebedová, Marco Miller, Evan Karas, Viola Hubáčková
Supporting Organizers: Dicky Luckerson, Lara-Jo Riva, Nick Havelka
Photography & Videography: Atanáz Babinchak, Bence Bánhidi-Rózsa
SPECIAL THANKS TO THE PHOTOTOGETHER GALLERY FOR BRINGING THIS PROJECT TO LIFE.