Maud Kotasová: Sorry, Not Listening

Lots of lights, silver and glitter. When you get closer, you'll find there's a little different ornamentation hanging from it. Medical scissors, old army bandages, chains made of bandages that are unsuitable for humanitarian aid because of unsterility. The so-called silver is made of Spunbond, a non-woven fabric produced in Ukraine for making camouflage nets, the ribbon decorating the top of the tree is made of thermofoil, in which the wounded are usually wrapped, and if candles, then trench candles. There is everything a proper Christmas tree should contain - lights simulating falling phosphorus, presents that reflect reality, salt from Russia, real shrapnel from now destroyed Bakhmut. The notes say it all, firetrap, I'm fine. We're lighting the tree coincidentally on the 1000 day anniversary of the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, while most of us are like "sorry, not listening".

"The contact with people from Ukraine who are going through drastic experiences is very much written into the works on display, which were created over the course of this year specifically for the exhibition at the House of Arts." said artist Maud Kotasová in a conversation that took place during a workshop for her exhibition The Darkness We Talk From. This workshop was focused on knitting camouflage nets for Ukrainian soldiers in collaboration with Brno for Ukraine and Stand with Ukraine Brno, with whom Maud Kotasová actively cooperates. The installation Sorry, Not Listening is an organic continuation of the exhibition and volunteer work, which is very important to the artist.