Study Circle Prague

Artists are just as much a part of society as doctors, owners and shareholders of large companies, auto mechanics, caregivers on maternity leave or in nursing homes, or those working in the corporate sector. What determines the value of their work? What criteria set the standards for artistic quality and uphold (or break) glass ceilings of artistic excellence? And who sets these standards, goals, or career milestones?

In our Study Circle, we explore the myths and archetypes surrounding “successful art” and “successful” artists. We are interested in the spaces that influence the perception of success: social conventions, educational institutions, political bodies, the media, collections, and institutes of art, science, and research, among many others. We seek ways to define success as a shared value, rather than the victory of individuals.

STUDY CIRCLE #1 / 25 May 2026, Pardubice

The first Study Circe was facilitated by Kateř Tureček, and it took place in GAMPA — The City Gallery of Pardubice. The day was divided into two blocks. In the morning, from 10:00–13:00, the “On Success” workshop took place, during which we explored the concept of success not only from the perspective of ambition and social pressure, but also from the perspective of self-awareness and the internal values we create for ourselves. It offered a space to reflect on everyday life, a chance to slow down, and an opportunity to discover how to appreciate small moments while managing the pressures of creative work and our own uncertain circumstances. The outcome of the workshop is a series of written personal success manifestos.

Manifesto by Anna Chrtková / Manifesto by Petr Dlouhý / Manifesto by Šárka Zahálková

The second block, from 14:00 to 16:00, was a thematic discussion on our workshop findings, followed by a practical project information block at the end. We left our first encounter with many questions, and here we share with you a few:

• What is the antonym of success? Does it need to be failure?
• What are the external criteria of success?
• How can we work with them? Can we shape them from bottom to top (vs. the usual top-down understanding of success criteria)?
• How are they performed?
• What are their procedures, protocols, and rituals? [Are there any others than applause, positive feedback, a bouquet of flowers, a party, recognition..?]
• How can we give the feeling of success?
• Can we work with the muscle of “receiving success”?
• The competitive problem—is the success of an individual conditioned by the failure of others?

STUDY CIRCLE #2 / 16 July 2026, Prague

The second Study Circle took place within the framework of the open tent by Kroužek Intersekce at the Biennale Matter of Art, held at the National Gallery – Trade Fair Palace, Prague.

It was facilitated by Šárka Zahálková and was grounded in the topics of artistic gesture, institution, and time. For an hour, guests from the collectives Gudskul and Damdam, together with Biennale Matter of Art curator Jaroslava Tomanová, visited us, and we had a short conversation on the themes of our research, as well as the On Mobilisation project.

During this day, we read two texts:

• a chapter from Artist at Work by Bojana Kunst: The Artist’s Time: Projective Temporality
• part of the essay Permacultural Institution Is: by Aneta Roskovská

Both texts were followed by a discussion.

After these texts, we participated in a workshop on the “Artistic Gesture,” stemming from Šárka Zahálková’s practice.

It evolved from the themes of artistic gesture and its “success” in various contexts, time periods, and on different scales. We focused on the role of the institution in the formation of the artistic gesture. How can it influence it in terms of success or failure? The outcome of this day is a mind map, with our artistic gesture unfolded in time.