SOMETHING IS NOT NOTHING

Patrik Illo – Something Is Not Nothing

3.3. – 19.4. 2026

DOX by Qubus & Bendox
Centrum současného umění DOX, Poupětova 1, Praha

Exhibition opening & Book launch'Tuesday, March 3, 2026, 6:00 p.m.

Patrik Illo (1973) is one of the most prominent figures in contemporary Slovak glass art. During his nearly thirty-year career, he has created thousands of designs, prototypes, collections, and original objects—ranging from commercial utility design to art design to free creation. Every year, he implements new conceptual projects, collaborates with other artists, works as a university lecturer and curator, and organizes art symposia.His work has long been represented in the DOX by Qubus gallery design shop, but this is the first time it will be presented solo in the local exhibition space as part of exhibitions for passing viewers. The title SOMETHING IS NOT NOTHING refers to the intensity, concentration, and paradox inherent in Illo's work.

"Despite the formal breadth of his work, three key principles permeate all areas: fluidity, interaction, and kinetics. These motifs create a meta-space in which Illo moves as an author and which allows him to explore the very 'technology of creation' – the process of the work's creation, its variability, and its internal dynamics." The author's work is commented on by Petr Nový, curator of the exhibition and chief curator of the Museum of Glass and Jewelry in Jablonec nad Nisou.

Illo's works often enter into dialogue with the viewer. They provoke, unsettle, and replace questions with answers – not with ironic detachment, but with gentle humor and an effort to share the process of discovery. The viewer thus becomes a partner and co-creator of meaning.

The exhibition SOMETHING IS NOT NOTHING is conceptually based on the structure of the current monograph PATRIK ILLO (SK-LLO, Slovart), 2025), which maps the author's artistic career to date and provides a cross-section of his work over the last 30 years.