Tereza Červeňová discusses With and For, her commission for Survey II, with Magda Keaney, Senior Curator at the National Portrait Gallery and Harriet Cooper, Head of Visual Arts at Jerwood Arts.
With and For is a journey of deep love, entangled conflict and self-exploration presented through a selection of photography and moving-image. It explores what a sense of inner spirituality might mean; asking how images can translate a feeling, bare witness to vulnerability and open up space for self-discovery.
Created through 2020, this body of work journeys in the artist’s words ‘from the microcosm of one’s own identity, through the unique ecosystem of family’, reflecting on the individual’s role, position and responsibility in the world. Employing an autobiographical lens to collaborate with friends, family and loved ones; the use of analogue film formats whose material is in itself fragile and vulnerable to damage, echoes the care needed for ourselves and others in our day to day lives.
This event was supported by ALMA ZEVI and Jerwood Arts.
About the speakers
Tereza Červeňová works predominantly with analogue photography and film. (Co)creating on the intersection of personal, political and poetic, she uses her work as a vessel to comprehend the world and honour those that guide her through it. She sees her practice as inherently collaborative as it would not exist without others.
Tereza was born in Slovakia and is based in London. She received her BA in Photography from Middlesex University, (2014), and her MA in Photography from the Royal College of Art, (2018). Selected group exhibitions include ALMA ZEVI, Venice (2021 & 2020); Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool (2019); UK Parliament, London (2019); Museum of London, London (2018). In 2019, Cervenová was a finalist for the MACK First Book Award, Nominee for Foam Paul Huf Award. She was awarded the Bloomberg New Contemporaries prize in 2017 and was a finalist for the European Photography prize in the same year. Her work is included in the collections of The National Portrait Gallery, London (UK); John Kobal Foundation, London (UK); TATE Artist’s Book Collection, London (UK); Fine & Decorative Art Collection, Eton College, Windsor (UK). Tereza completed a residency at ALMA ZEVI, Venice in 2019. terezacervenova.com
Magda Keaney is Senior Curator, Photographs, at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Over two decades she has written widely on photography for books, museum catalogues and magazines, often considering ways to provoke wider discussion around the intersection of fashion, culture and photography, portraiture and photography, conflict and photography and women’s photographic practice. She has curated many exhibitions both contemporary and historical in institutional and independent roles including at the National Portrait Gallery, London; the Australian War Memorial, Canberra; the Fashion Space Gallery, London College of Fashion; and the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra. Her current research at the NPG is focused on a major reconceptualization and presentation of the photographs collection for the Inspiring Peopleproject. She has been the curator of the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2019, 2020 & 2021, this year including the display Some say Iceby Alessandra Sanguinetti. She is a PhD candidate at the Australian National University, Canberra, where her research concerns the photographic studio. npg.org.uk
Harriet Cooper is Head of Visual Arts at Jerwood Arts where she is responsible for developing and leading their visual arts work including projects, partnerships, funding, research and awards. She leads Jerwood Arts’ gallery programme in London and on tour around the UK and is curator of Survey II. Prior to this Harriet held roles at Firstsite, the British Council, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Tate Liverpool and The Whitworth Art Gallery; and was co-curator of Phyllida Barlow’s commission ‘folly’ for the British Pavilion at the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017. jerwoodarts.org
