Tessa Hollman-Gustin: Between You, Me, (and) the Lamppost

We invite you to the opening of the exhibition Tessa Hollman-Gustin: Between You, Me, (And) The Lamppost, the curator of the exhibition is Šárka Koudelová. The vernissage is on Tuesday 15. 7. 2025 at 6 pm. Asks Tessa Hollman-Gustin in one of his autobiographical fictions, which often complements his object compositions in writing. With this question, it draws us into the controversy over the autonomy of objects whose functions commonly make life easier and in the dim light of the lamp erases the differences between the backdrops of everyday reality and illusive fiction. It might seem that the aesthetics of these objects are purely functional, but Tessa themes the natural melancholy and hidden stories recorded in their morphology. It imagines that the airbag is filled with the breath of its ancestors and handles, which give a helping hand to climb a low ceiling car, install all walls and ceilings to help it get acquainted with the escaping presence. Upon arrival in Prague, she was intrigued by local house phones. What happens to these columns of names and ornamentally sorted holes when they get and deaf? In the minimalist installation of the exhibition, they become autonomous portals that come to life and memories of people who announced their names, reasons and pleas with their bowels behind the thin layers of their pale blue existence. In the rugged gallery space, the different ends of the imaginative communication system, hidden by our eyes, are different. The space of the exhibition thus becomes a fictitious gathering place for speakers and stories whose dense air would be stirred up by a ceiling fan if it worked. Even by the tired stretch of one of his arms, he liberated from his original office and became one of the narrators. Melancholic listening to memories is complemented by catalog photos of lamps, glued to the bottom of the evacuated drawers. The secret that potentially hides and stories whose unexpected dynamics can spin with the blades of the old fan is an intuitive reference to David Lynch or even Steven Spielberger. Tessa, who spent her holiday in Los Angeles in a film environment in her childhood, works almost exclusively with materials for the creation of backdrops and models. Balm wood and modeling polystyrene do not know and use it to imitate reality or to realize fiction. Is it our imagination, a foreign memory or a snippet of a cult film? “… Another Love Before My Time Made Your Heart Sad and Blue, And So My Heart is Paying Now for Things I Didn’t Do, In Anger, Unkind Words Are Said That Make the Teardrops Start, Why Can’t I Free Your Doubtful Mind Heart… ”[1]



[1] Williams Hank, Cold, Cold Heart, Song Lyrics, 1951
The City of Prague and the State Fund of the Czech Republic. 18:00
Exhibition: 16. 7. - 29. 7. 2025

Asks Tessa Hollman-Gustin in One of Her Autobiographical Fictions, WHICH SHE OFTEN USES TO COMPLETE HER OBECT-BASED COMPOSITIONS. With this Question, She Draws Us Into Polemics About The Autonomy of Objects— WHHOSE FUNCTIONS USUALY MAKE OUR LIVES EASIER - AND LIGHT OF A LAMP, SHE BLURS The Lines Between Themery of Everyday and Illusory Fiction.
Interested in Objects Whose Purpose Is to usefully Extend Our Physicality - Grip Better, to See Farther, to Be Heard From and Distance, to Protect Against Impact. IT May Seem That The Aesthetics of Such Objects Are Purely Functional, But Tessa Explores Their Inherent Melancholy and Hidden Stories Recorded in Their Morphology. Shemagines That An Airbag is Filled with the break of the game ancestors, and that of the grab handles what offer support When Exiting and Car With and Low ROOF are Affixed to All Walls and Ceilings to Help Her Come to Terms. After Arriving in Prague, She Became Fascinated by the Local House Intercoms. What happen to the these Columns of Names and Ornamentally Arranged Speaker Holes When They Fall Silent and Deaf? In the minimalist installation of the exhibition, They Become Autonomous Portals, Behind Whose Pale Blue Surfaces and Layers Conversations and Memories Come - Memories of People Who Once Annced Their Names, Reasons and Requests Through Their innards. In the divided Space of the Gallery, They Serve as Variast Ends of an Imaginative Communication System, Hidden From Ou Eyes. The Exhibition Space Thus Becomes and Fictional Gathering Place of Speaker Persons and Stories, ITS Dense Air Waiting to Be Stirred by A Ceiling Fan - It Were to Work. Even that fan, with and weary string of one of its arms, Has Freed Itself from Its Original Function and Become One of the Storytellers. Melancholic Listening to These Memories is Suppled with Catalog Photos of Lamps, Pastened to Bottoms of Emptied Drawers.
Atmosphere. The Secrets IT Potentially Holds, and the Stories Whose Unexpected Dynamics Mighth Set In Motion by the Blade of the Old Fan, are an intuitive reference to the cinematic Works of David Lynch or even Steven Spielberg. TESSA, WHO SPENT CHILDHOOD SUMMERS IN LOS Angeles Amidst the Film Industry, Works in the Exhibition Almost Exclusively with Materials Used for Making Stage Sets and Models. Sheesn’t Camouflage The Balsa Wood or Model-Making Polystyrene, using them directly to mimic reality --or rathher, that bring fiction to life. IS IT OUR IMAGINATION, SOMEONE ELSE’S MEMORY, OR and FRAGMENT FROM and CULT MOVIE? "… Another Love Before My Time Made Your Heart Sad and Blue, and So My Heart is Paying Now for Things I Didn’t Do, In Anger, Unkind Words Are Said That Make the Teardrops Start, WHY CAN'T Heart… ”[1]