Oskár Čepan

Svätopluk Mikyta (1973, Čadca) studied graphic art with associate professor Vojtech Kolenčík at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava. He moves across various media, but the aspect of handicraft remains characteristic of and important to his work. He spent years focusing on Slovakia-related topics (modern history of Slovakia, collective memory, national identity), handling them in a critical or even ironic manner. One of thelong-developed lines in his oeuvre,represented by the so-called Pre-Drawings, was based on work with found period press and photographs, complemented by his drawing or graphical interventions which shifted their original meanings. He modified photographic reproductionsof the Sokol Slet and Spartakiad mass gymnastics festivals, the High Tatras, architecture,or industry. In the recent years Mikyta concluded this chapter of his oeuvre by publishing a retrospective book Homo Viator (2017). The focus of his work has shifted from engagement towards accent on the matter involved in visual art as such, its various qualities and the infinite possibilities of experimentation and recycling. He combines found objects and materials with his own artistic activities; he plays with colors, shapes, and textures, creating pictures, objects, and installations where“ combined technique” does not describe the result but rather the actual guiding principle of the creative process. In parallel, Mikytahas since 1996 been creating spontaneous Diary Drawings, perhaps the most natural, or even necessary outlet for his creativity. These drawings vary in terms of the topics covered, yet show a certain repetition of motifs (again, the topic of national identity, various symbols, old and new, nature), while a significant portion is taken up by stylized self-portraits. Svätopluk Mikyta is also a cultural activist, a co-founder of the Banská ST A NICA platform, which has by now hosted residences, symposiums, exhibitions, and other events in Banská Štiavnica for more than a decade. He won the prize in 2008. The exhibition took place in Medium Gallery and the other finalists were Petra Feriancová, Ján Šicko and Jaro Varga.