Kristián Németh is an intermedia artist. His diverse artwork deals with identity, corporeality and the fragility of being, linking universal topics with intimate content. He moves from thematizing institutional critique and power dynamics within the Catholic Church to addressing social topics or simply offering personal observations. This broad spectrum of ideas is also mirrored in the diverse artistic mediums he employs – all the way from objects, spatial installations, sound recordings and videos to minimalist interventions and staged performances. Németh routinely integrates them into intricate exhibition environments characterized by a minimalist design and a focus on detail. His works navigate the space between symbolic and abstract forms, leaning towards conceptualization of snapshots from lived reality, frequently highlighting characteristic, beautifully unsettling emotional resonance.
The solo exhibition Fragments of Fragility at Gandy Gallery in Bratislava presents a symbolic and direct reflection on fragility. No matter if we address the contemporary world, the ecological crisis, personal fragility or everyday situations and relationships, insecurity has become the new norm, with stability becoming an unexpected luxury.
The minimalist, variable installation Fragile, which has been continuously updated and reinterpreted since 2012, commands attention within the gallery spaces. This artwork has undergone various transformations in its installation, exhibition, and ideological contexts. At its core, it is laid out on the floor in its simple essence, instantly drawing viewers in with its appealingly fragile aesthetic. It triggers emotional associations while directing the way we behave in the space. Organically arranged crystal glasses, bowls, decanters, and vases—sourced from Németh's mother and acquaintances—stimulate our imagination. A simple gesture gradually modulates the tension created by their ephemeral balance, as they are held together solely by the laws of physics and the respect of visitors. Drawing on personal memories of old items and an awareness of our own temporality and uncertainty, these clear and luminous monuments remain open-ended, inviting a wide range of interpretations.
The artist continues in a similar vein with works from his latest project, The Herbarium of Time (2024), where he transforms fragility and vulnerability into conscious care, striving to halt time and preserve the present. He has encapsulated delicate tiny flowers and a twig in resin, by which they serve as a simple yet striking memento of the desire to deny impermanence. While this impulse contradicts the natural cycle of life, it stands as a silent and melancholic symbol of ephemeral moments.
Kristián Németh (b. 1983, Dunajská Streda) lives and works in Brussels. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava at the Department of Intermedia in Ilona Németh's IN Studio and completed his PhD studies at the vvv Studio under the supervision of Martin Piaček. In 2015, he won the main ESSL Art Award, a year later he was a finalist of the Italian Art Laguna Award, in 2020 he was one of the finalists of the Oskar Čepan Award and in 2022 he was a laureate of the Novum Foundation Award. His solo exhibitions include those in the Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava, Artivist Lab, Prague, Fait Gallery Preview, Brno, ISCP, New York, At Home Gallery, Šamorín, and the Šopa Gallery, Košice; participating in group exhibitions at Kunsthalle Bratislava, Mauve, Vienna, SODA Gallery, Bratislava, Jan Koniarek Gallery, Trnava, NTK Prague, Essl Museum, Klosterneuburg, Museum of Moscow and the Contemporary Art Center of Thessaloniki.
List of works [ PDF ]
Invitation [ PDF ]
