Luckily got to see a solo show by Bratislava born Ján Mančuška at transitdisplay in Prague this summer. One of my favourite pieces by him is I asked my wife to blacken all the parts of my body which I cannot see (2007) which, curiously enough was being displayed twice at the same time in Prague: once in transitdisplay and once at the 3rd Young Persons Biennale. I really enjoy the simplicity of this piece, strips of black + white 35mm film hanging from the ceiling, with a lightbox bisecting the space. You can move freely between the strips and see the process of, as the title suggests, his wife blackening all the parts of his body he can't see. The photos are more than just documentation, they are beautifully composed and set up. As well as being an interesting concept of what you can and can't see of yourself, it comes across as a really calming, romantic piece between the artist and his wife.
