The Chemistry Gallery presents a joint exhibition by painter and graphic artist Tomáš Žemla and glass artist František Jungvirt. In the exhibition Off the beaten track, the artists open a dialogue between natural and cultural landscapes, venturing beyond marked paths and offering a new perspective on Czech and Slovak environments. By connecting Žemla’s landscapes and still lifes with Jungvirt’s glass objects, which fundamentally transcend the boundaries of only functional design, a unique shared exhibition emerges, bringing together two distinctive and continuously evolving figures of the contemporary Czech and Slovak art scene. The opening will take place on January 28 at 600 PM, and the exhibition will be on view until March 1, 2026.

“The works of both artists feel intimate, as if they allow us to rediscover something we didn’t even know we had lost,” says curator Jan Čejka about the exhibition. “Together, they draw inspiration from places we, as viewers, pass by every day or occasionally walk through, captivating us with something that stays with us. Our connection to their works thus emerges subconsciously and naturally,” he adds.

František Jungvirt is one of the leading Czech glass artists. His work has long focused on the relationship between natural and cultural landscapes, while developing traditional glassmaking techniques within a contemporary, authorial context. Thanks to this approach, he has become one of the most sought-after Czech glass artists in recent years, a recipient of numerous professional awards, and in 2024 he was included in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Czech Republic.

Slovak painter Tomáš Žemla has established himself on both the Czech and Slovak art scenes with his predominantly landscape-based compositions and has presented numerous solo and group exhibitions. Most recently, he presented a major solo exhibition at the Alš South Bohemian Gallery. Both artists have published extensive monographs, Jungvirt’s in 2024 and Žemla’s very recently. Both publications will also be available on site.

The collaboration between the artists began three years ago. “František Jungvirt responded to Tomáš Žemla’s work with several vases, while Žemla created a series of still lifes inspired by the shadows cast by his colleague’s glass objects,” explains Čejka. “What started as a small collaboration has now finally evolved into a larger joint exhibition.”

The exhibition is installed in the distinctive spaces of The Chemistry Gallery in Hall 40, located in the heart of Holešovická tržnice (The Holešovice Market). In recent years, the market has become a unique social and artistic hub, a small creative district within Prague’s Holešovice neighborhood, and the exhibition by Žemla and Jungvirt thus represents another valuable contribution to its cultural repertoire.