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The Supermarket Art Fair is an international contemporary art fair focused on artist-run galleries. Over two decades, it has built a reputation as a space where the independent art scene thrives - free from institutional filters and market-driven logic, emphasizing direct exchange and live discussion. Held in Stockholm, it reflects values of collective practice, transparency, and support for independent initiatives, while serving as a laboratory for alternative models of artistic production across Europe and beyond.

From April 23 to 26, the Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art will take part alongside its new partner, Galerie Altán Klamovka. The joint presentation is curated by art theorist Lenka Sýkorová, who is affiliated with the faculty and also leads the Prague gallery. This will be her fifth time at the Supermarket Art Fair, joined by Sutnar doctoral student Michal Poustka. The Czech Centre Stockholm and the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Stockholm support their participation. In an interview for INFO.zcu, Sýkorová and Poustka reflect not only on the current exhibition but also on what the fair represents for the Czech independent art scene.

Dr. Sýkorová, why is it important for Galerie Altán Klamovka and FDU to present in Stockholm?

I see participation in the Supermarket Art Fair as an important opportunity to present both the gallery and the Ladislav Sutnar Faculty within the international context of the contemporary art scene. The fair has long served as a platform for more than 60 artist-run initiatives from around the world, with a strong emphasis on performance, site-specific projects, and a rich accompanying program. This format is essential for both the faculty and the gallery - it enables not only the presentation of our own projects, but above all direct engagement within an international network of independent actors. It fosters intensive exchange of experience, the building of professional connections, and opens up opportunities for future collaborations, pedagogical exchanges, and curatorial projects. Participation is therefore not just a one-off presentation, but a strategic step toward strengthening international visibility, sharing artistic and curatorial practices, and actively contributing to the discourse of contemporary art.

What curatorial concept or projects are you bringing to Stockholm this year?

We are presenting the exhibition Extended Presence, which brings together Czech artist Michal Poustka, American artists Ismael de Anda III and Eugene Ahn, and Macedonian graphic designer Laze Tripkov. The concept of our fair presentation explores the boundaries between physical and virtual existence - between body and data, between what is perceived and what is imagined. The selected artists create immersive environments in which memory, gesture, and digital code intertwine, forming "landscapes of hybrid presence." The viewer thus becomes not only an observer, but also an active participant.

A unifying element across all projects is the use of technology to transform perception, the body, and identity. Laze Tripkov's installation reinterprets cultural heritage through XR and haptic interfaces. Ismael de Anda III and Eugene Ahn expand the notion of site-specific art through aerial imagery and augmented reality, addressing themes of migration and belonging. Michal Poustka explores the boundaries between knowledge and perception through performative interventions and the technological possibilities available in contemporary art.

How is collaboration between studios or the faculty's pedagogical environment reflected in this year's presentation? Is there a shared thread?

The booth space at the fair is limited, and it is essential to capture the audience's attention at first glance. For this reason, I chose to focus on presenting doctoral student Michal Poustka within the context of extended reality and new technologies in art, in dialogue with other international exhibitors. This format offers not only valuable feedback but also space for building an international network of contacts that can lead to future collaborations and further project development. My position as an associate professor at the faculty, with an emphasis on supporting doctoral studies, creates an ideal opportunity to connect my curatorial practice with the development of doctoral projects at LSF.

Michal, could you tell us more about your project for the Supermarket fair?

In Stockholm, I will present Bias Protocol - a performative XR installation. At its core are two avatar-like entities with opposing ways of interpreting reality, with me standing between them as a live performer and mediator. For the Stockholm presentation, I am working on connecting each avatar to a different language model - Mistral and Grok. If successful, two technologically distinct intelligences will engage in a real dialogue, while I stand literally between them. Within the context of Extended Presence, Bias Protocol represents the sharpest philosophical edge of the shared concept. While the other artists engage with memories of place and cultural heritage, my project turns to the architecture of perception itself.

Does participating in this fair have a longer-term impact for both of you?

Lenka Sýkorová: Definitely. For me, participation is primarily an opportunity to develop an international network and to present Czech visual culture within the framework of my long-term research, which combines independent curatorial practice with academic work. I then reflect these experiences in my teaching, and naturally, it also leads to building professional relationships within the field.

Michal Poustka: The artist-run environment of the Supermarket Art Fair generates a different kind of connection than institutional formats. You meet people who actively build and shape their own platforms, and real collaborations emerge from these encounters. XR and immersive media are rapidly evolving fields where international visibility is essential for relevance. In this regard, Stockholm is an ideal setting - the Scandinavian context has a strong tradition of ethical reflection on technology and sustainable models of artistic practice, which resonates with the values I consciously bring into my work.