Houba / Markéta Skalková
Tempo Prague - Nádražní 1272/15, Prague, Czech Republic 15000
29. 4. 2025 19:00
Vstupné: dobrovolné
Entry: donation
We are excited to announce the launch of Marketa Skalkova's book, "The Mushroom/ Houba," which will take place on Tuesday, April 29, at our venue, Tempo, starting at 19:00. This event will provide an opportunity to meet the author, gain insights into her work, and purchase the book or related merchandise. We look forward to welcoming you to this special occasion.
The author's book The Mushroom is a metaphor for some of the environmental and social issues. It is a free expression of hopelessness and sadness. It's a warning.
The starting story is based on a fairy tale I remember from my childhood. It's raining in a fairy tale and Little Ant is looking for a shelter. He finds the Mushroom, tiny one, which he can barely fit under. Barely, but still. He is waiting for the rain to pass. Gradually, more animals come and they all want to hide under the Mushroom. That seems impossible, but it always works. At the end of the original fairy tale, it stops raining, the sun shines, everyone rejoices and they find that everyone fits in, because the Mushroom grew in the rain. In my book, this fairy tale is used as a starting story, but it does not stop raining. Instead, the reader goes through various alternative sequels and endings that freely reflect on how we treat the planet and each other.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Other animals come, but not all of them can fit under the Mushroom. Some have to stay outside (and die).
The Mushroom rots, falls on the animals (and kills them).
The animals are terribly hungry and so they eat each other.
The area around the Mushroom gets watered and the animals drown down.
The animals die of hunger.
The animals get sick, become infected with each other and die.
The animals eat a Mushroom.
Different endings represent the different threats we face as society. The animals did not blame themselves for the problems they have to solve, just as we as individuals are not responsible for poor food distribution, overpopulation or a pandemic. But we still have no choice but to deal with such situations, in better or desperate ways.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The book is printed in black on Munken Pure, and because the whole story takes place in the rain, it is dressed in a raincoat. The book balances between illustrations and comics. The story is told both visually and textually. The combination of children's drawings with large print is visually appealing, but at the same time clean. It creates an ironic contrast between the fact that it seems to be a children's book and the tragic ending that the story always reaches.
SHORT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Mushroom is a parable without a happy ending. It follows the story of an Ant who hides from the rain under a mushroom. The mushroom is small, and the Ant can barely fit underneath. Gradually, more animals arrive, seeking dry shelter. Despite seeming impossibility, they all manage to squeeze under the mushroom — because the rain makes the mushroom grow. But the rain doesn’t stop. It keeps pouring, and readers can choose from several alternative endings, each presenting different hardships the animals must face: How will they deal with hunger? With illness? With more animals seeking shelter? With the mushroom’s unstable structure? With flooding? The narrative form balances between illustrated storytelling, comics, and gamebook. This artbook features an open sewn binding and is printed using risograph technology, including a colour endpaper with a satellite image of rainfall. Published by Kudla Werkstatt.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Markéta Skalková (aka kétka, supermarketkovitost) is an artist, performer, graphic designer, tattoo artist and more. She is a member of the collectives OUTSIDEININSIDEOUTOUTSINDIN, Welnesssssssegroup and Surimi Čiči Supermarket.
Her work focuses on the theme of rest and its relations to sensuality, mindfulness, attention, capitalism and culture.
The author's book The Mushroom is a metaphor for some of the environmental and social issues. It is a free expression of hopelessness and sadness. It's a warning.
The starting story is based on a fairy tale I remember from my childhood. It's raining in a fairy tale and Little Ant is looking for a shelter. He finds the Mushroom, tiny one, which he can barely fit under. Barely, but still. He is waiting for the rain to pass. Gradually, more animals come and they all want to hide under the Mushroom. That seems impossible, but it always works. At the end of the original fairy tale, it stops raining, the sun shines, everyone rejoices and they find that everyone fits in, because the Mushroom grew in the rain. In my book, this fairy tale is used as a starting story, but it does not stop raining. Instead, the reader goes through various alternative sequels and endings that freely reflect on how we treat the planet and each other.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Other animals come, but not all of them can fit under the Mushroom. Some have to stay outside (and die).
The Mushroom rots, falls on the animals (and kills them).
The animals are terribly hungry and so they eat each other.
The area around the Mushroom gets watered and the animals drown down.
The animals die of hunger.
The animals get sick, become infected with each other and die.
The animals eat a Mushroom.
Different endings represent the different threats we face as society. The animals did not blame themselves for the problems they have to solve, just as we as individuals are not responsible for poor food distribution, overpopulation or a pandemic. But we still have no choice but to deal with such situations, in better or desperate ways.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The book is printed in black on Munken Pure, and because the whole story takes place in the rain, it is dressed in a raincoat. The book balances between illustrations and comics. The story is told both visually and textually. The combination of children's drawings with large print is visually appealing, but at the same time clean. It creates an ironic contrast between the fact that it seems to be a children's book and the tragic ending that the story always reaches.
SHORT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Mushroom is a parable without a happy ending. It follows the story of an Ant who hides from the rain under a mushroom. The mushroom is small, and the Ant can barely fit underneath. Gradually, more animals arrive, seeking dry shelter. Despite seeming impossibility, they all manage to squeeze under the mushroom — because the rain makes the mushroom grow. But the rain doesn’t stop. It keeps pouring, and readers can choose from several alternative endings, each presenting different hardships the animals must face: How will they deal with hunger? With illness? With more animals seeking shelter? With the mushroom’s unstable structure? With flooding? The narrative form balances between illustrated storytelling, comics, and gamebook. This artbook features an open sewn binding and is printed using risograph technology, including a colour endpaper with a satellite image of rainfall. Published by Kudla Werkstatt.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Markéta Skalková (aka kétka, supermarketkovitost) is an artist, performer, graphic designer, tattoo artist and more. She is a member of the collectives OUTSIDEININSIDEOUTOUTSINDIN, Welnesssssssegroup and Surimi Čiči Supermarket.
Her work focuses on the theme of rest and its relations to sensuality, mindfulness, attention, capitalism and culture.
Provoz kulturních aktivit Petrohradská kolektiv je v roce 2024 finančně podpořen Ministerstvem kultury ČR, Magistrátem hlavního města Prahy, a Městskou částí Prahy 10.
The production of the cultural activities of the Petrohradská kolektiv is financially supported in 2024 by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, Municipality of the City of Prague, and the Municipal District of Prague 10.
