Unveiling Hidden Talents: In Conversation with Photographer and Founder of HIDDEN Gallery, Filip Kartousek

In this exclusive interview, we sit down with Filip Kartousek, the visionary photographer and curator behind HIDDEN Gallery, a space dedicated to giving a platform to emerging and lesser-known artists.

Filip’s journey began with unconventional, nomadic exhibitions in hidden corners of the Czech Republic, and has since evolved into a permanent gallery on Bořivojova Street in Prague. Known for curating emotionally resonant works that challenge superficial trends, Filip has ambitious plans to establish a network of cultural hubs in cities like Berlin, New York, and beyond. In our conversation, he sheds light on the gallery’s mission, upcoming exhibitions, and his vision for HIDDEN’s role in the global art community.
 

- HIDDEN Gallery has a unique focus on showcasing emerging and lesser-known artists. What inspired you to establish a space dedicated to these hidden talents?

The name "HIDDEN" came about because I initially organized exhibitions in unconventional, hidden locations across the Czech Republic. As the gallery evolved into a more permanent space on Bořivojova Street in Prague, now known as HIDDEN Bořivojova, I started to reflect on the direction and philosophy of what I wanted to achieve with it. I realized that I wanted to focus on artists who are still at the beginning of their careers—those who might otherwise go unnoticed.

Back when I was organizing those early exhibitions, I noticed that for many artists, it was just another line on their CV rather than a deeper engagement. With HIDDEN Bořivojova, my goal is to develop more meaningful collaborations with artists, whether through exhibitions, podcast conversations, or our HIDDEN Editions, where we create affordable original works in partnership with selected artists.

For me, the real challenge and excitement lie in discovering these hidden talents rather than simply choosing from established names. I find more value and satisfaction in supporting artists who haven't yet found their spotlight, rather than just going with the obvious choices. It pushes me to look deeper and engage with the art on a more instinctual level.

Interestingly, in a couple of cases, artists who had their first solo exhibitions at our previous space HIDDEN Republika went on to exhibit at DOX Centre for Contemporary Art in Prague 7 within just three months. This progression is a testament to the platform that HIDDEN Gallery provides for emerging artists, helping them gain the recognition they deserve.

Over time, HIDDEN Gallery has gained extensive experience with these kinds of artists. For instance, we've showcased Chloé Milos Azzopardi, who had her first solo exhibition with us and has since gained recognition in major publications like the New York Times and the British Journal of Photography, as well as international exhibitions at Les Rencontres d'Arles, Belfast Photo Festival, Copenhagen Photo Festival, and venues in Melbourne, Sweden, Spain, and the Netherlands.

Solo Show by Chloé Milos Azzopardi, Exhibition View, Image Courtesy of HIDDEN Gallery

Similarly, we’ve had a long-term collaboration with Anna Ruth, who also had her first solo exhibition at HIDDEN Gallery. Her work has been included in both Czech and international collections, and she's been involved in significant exhibitions, such as group shows at Gaa Gallery in New York and 10N Gallery in Brussels, as well as NADA NYC, with an upcoming exhibition at The Address Gallery in Brescia, Italy.

- Can you share more about the gallery’s beginnings as a nomadic space and how it eventually found a home on Bořivojova Street in Prague?

The origins of HIDDEN Gallery are quite unconventional and personal. It all began in my former loft in the industrial area of Svit in Zlín, where I lived and had my studio with my then-girlfriend. I decided to host an exhibition there called "Věrní sáž," a play on the words "vernisáž" (opening) and "věrní" (faithful). I invited around 15-20 friends to contribute their artworks, including paintings, photographs, and objects.

One of the highlights was when Petr Stanický, the head of the Glass Design Studio at the Tomáš Bata University, showed up with about 20 Americans who were visiting Zlín at the time. The opening speech became an impromptu bilingual affair, as I translated it from Czech to English on the spot. The atmosphere was unforgettable, turning the vernissage into a wild party with plenty of decadent memories and photographs to remember it by.

After that, I continued organizing exhibitions in Zlín, such as one in Building 23, where I used the old lift machine room, and another in the basement of a student residence. Each of these spaces had its own unique atmosphere and story, which added to the character of the shows.

Later, I moved to Olomouc, where I hosted several exhibitions in a unique niche space at the Konvikt, the Art Center of Palacký University. The niche was about 1.5 to 2 meters deep and contained a three-meter-tall cube with around 10-15 centimeters of space on each side. The side walls of the cube were open, allowing people to enter from the sides. It was within this cube that I organized the exhibitions, creating an intimate and immersive experience for the viewers. For each vernissage, I always prepared a different kind of soup and served wine, which attracted a large crowd and contributed to the lively and welcoming atmosphere, making each event a memorable experience. This was before I eventually made my way to Prague.

Konvikt, Art Center of Palacký University, Image Courtesy of HIDDEN Gallery

In Prague, I transformed my own apartment on Tachovské náměstí into a gallery space. It was there that the concept of HIDDEN really took shape—I would move my furniture into my roommate's room and convert my living area into a minimalist, white cube gallery. These shows had a distinctively homey and punk vibe, with some even featuring events like cooking duck in the kitchen during the exhibitions.

One memorable project at that apartment was the exhibition called "Kaše Kašeová." The concept came about when, within the span of two months, three people tragically passed away in that very building. I suggested to the landlord that we turn this strange situation into an opportunity for an art show. He agreed, and after the apartment was cleared out, artists responded to the unique space by using its traces—like nicotine-stained walls that revealed where furniture once stood.

Tomáš Vaněk, who was part of this exhibition, contributed by creating binaural recordings to bring the apartment to life from an auditory perspective. He recorded sounds in his own home, imagining how it might have felt when Mr. and Mrs. Kašeová lived in that space, and then translated those recordings into the Kaše Kašeová apartment. This added a layer of sound-based memory to the exhibition, blending reality and artistic interpretation.

Anna Wolf responded to the unique space by using its traces—such as nicotine-stained walls that revealed where furniture once stood—and standardized the room's measurements according to Bauhaus principles, transforming these elements into a structured piece that reflected the room's dimensions.

Other participating artists included Petra Dundálková, now a well-established artist, and Lukáš Hoffman, who later won the Jindřich Chalupecký Award. The exhibition featured around 10-15 artists in total, all of whom brought their unique interpretations to the space.

In Prague, I continued experimenting with unconventional exhibition spaces. For example, I organized a performance at an abandoned flower stand on Národní třída called 'Národní 38.' We even hosted a live reading of Karel Hynek Mácha's entire 'Máj' poem on May 1st at Vítkov, celebrating the Czech literary tradition in a unique public setting.

Eventually, HIDDEN Gallery found a permanent home on Bořivojova Street in Prague. The move to a dedicated gallery space marked a turning point, allowing me to expand on the gallery's mission of supporting emerging talents in a more focused and professional environment. The gallery's philosophy remains rooted in those early days of discovering hidden spaces and talents, staying true to the spirit of showcasing artists who have yet to find their spotlight.

- The upcoming exhibition with Yuka Komanabe, who creates engravings based on clients’ dreams, seems like a fascinating blend of the personal and surreal. What can visitors expect from this show?

The upcoming exhibition with Yukako Manabe at HIDDEN Gallery promises to be a captivating exploration of the boundary between reality and imagination. Born in Tokyo in 1994, Manabe combines her expertise in Japanese painting and printmaking to create works that delve into the personal and surreal. I first noticed her work through her series "Movie Drawings," where she captured scenes from films she watched during the Corona lockdown in her "Stay Home Studies." What struck me immediately was her ability to distill the essence of a movie moment, translating it into a drawing that carries both emotion and atmosphere.

Visitors can expect a unique interactive experience, as her process often involves collaborating with individuals by inviting them to share their dreams, which she then interprets and engraves onto copper plates. One of her notable projects involved creating engravings based on clients' dreams and displaying the finished works in their bedrooms, allowing the artwork to become part of their intimate spaces.

Manabe's art is guided by questions like, "If I visualize something that exists only in my mind, does that mean it exists in the world?" This exploration of internal and external realities creates a dialogue between imagination and tangible experience, challenging viewers to reconsider how they perceive their own dreams and memories. Her approach to engraving and printmaking invites visitors to engage with the art on a deeply personal level, as each piece holds the potential to alter one's perception of the world.

Her work has been featured in major exhibitions and art fairs, such as ART FAIR TOKYO and Art Expo Malaysia, and she has held solo shows in prestigious venues like Isetan Shinjuku in Tokyo. Her artwork "Road under repair," which earned the Bronze Prize at Art Olympia 2022 and is part of the Yamaguchi Museum of Art's collection, highlights her ability to elevate everyday words into poetic expressions through art.

What resonates deeply in her work is a simplicity that belies its depth, capturing something uniquely Japanese in its expression. There’s a feeling in her drawings that creates a sense of place and emotion even in the most minimal lines. This ability to evoke so much with seemingly so little is what drew me to her work, and it’s why I’m excited to showcase her talent at HIDDEN Gallery. This exhibition will offer a glimpse into her continued journey of blurring the lines between the everyday and the extraordinary, making it an immersive experience that goes beyond the visual.

Photographer and Founder of HIDDEN Gallery, Filip Kartousek
Image Courtesy of Filip Kartousek and HIDDEN Gallery

- As we know you have an ambitious plan to establish cultural hubs in cities like Prague, Berlin, and New York, combining galleries and artist studios. What steps are you currently taking toward realizing this vision?

Currently, I am focused on establishing the HIDDEN Gallery as a prominent name in Prague's art scene. I am negotiating a new exhibition space in a large basement of a former train station, which boasts impressive six-meter ceilings and extensive square footage. This space will allow me to host significant contemporary art exhibitions, starting with an emphasis on Czech painting and subsequently showcasing Polish contemporary art.

The goal is to elevate HIDDEN Gallery's profile further and generate capital through the sale of artworks, which will support the vision of creating the first cultural hub in Prague. I'm also exploring grant opportunities for art centers provided by the Ministry of Culture in the Czech Republic, which have become more feasible recently.

Additionally, I am considering opening a branch of HIDDEN Gallery in Copenhagen, where I have valuable contacts and friends who could assist in operating it. These are the practical steps I am currently taking to turn my vision of interconnected cultural hubs into reality, fostering artistic exchange across cities.

For more information about the gallery, please contact HIDDEN Gallery at:
filip@hiddengallery.cz