ANDROS
4 Sep 2026 – 24 Jan 2027
We’re open to all, now also you
DOX Centre for Contemporary Art
Poupětova 1, Praha 7
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The exhibition opening will take place on September 3, 2026, at 7 p.m. Admission is free.
The Male Body in Contemporary Central European Art.
The only thing that contemporary Western society has at its disposal is a torso – the torso of a lived world in which the one shared meaning has been lost, as well as the torso of an individual who can only long for complexity because language and ossified social roles constantly push him away from it. This inadequacy undoubtedly concerns masculinity today. In recent decades the re-evaluation of established norms and the relaxation of rigid gender roles have intensified discussions about the nature of masculinity, inevitably leading to existential questions. Who is a man, really? And what defines him?
The exhibition project ANDROS explores how contemporary central European art addresses these issues in its depictions of the male body. In contemporary artistic creation the physical component of gender identity, which has served as a classic artistic theme for centuries, is now becoming a canvas for doubt, exploration, and the redefinition of the male form.
The group exhibition traces this theme within the broader regional context, presenting works by artists from Germany, Austria, and the Visegrad countries alongside those of Czech artists. The role of curator was taken on by writer Vratislav Maňák, who is using this exhibition to further develop and expand upon the concepts presented in his 2026 book S Wittgensteinem v gay sauně [With Wittgenstein in a Gay Sauna].
Curator: Vratislav Maňák
Vratislav Maňák (b. 1988) is a Czech writer, journalist, and literary historian. He teaches at the Faculty of Social Sciences of Charles University in Prague. In his books (which include Smrt staré Maši [The Death of Old Masha] and Goethe v Mariánských Lázních [Goethe in Marienbad], among others) he explores themes of intimacy, memory, and the conditions of existence in central Europe. He received the Jiří Orten Award for his literary work as well as a nomination for the European Union Prize for Literature. His books are also regularly published in Germany.
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ANDROS
The ANDROS group exhibition explores artistic depictions of the male body within the broader regional context, presenting works by artists from Germany, Austria, and the Visegrad countries alongside those of Czech artists.
