Jan Švankmajer (born 4 September 1934) is a Czech retired film director, animator, writer, playwright and artist. He draws and makes free graphics, collage, ceramics, tactile objects and assemblages.Nádvorníková A, in: NEČVU, Dodatky, 2006, s. 769 In the early 1960s, he explored

informel Informalism or Art Informel () is a Painting, pictorial movement from the 1943–1950s, that includes all the Abstract painting, abstract and Action painting, gestural tendencies that developed in France and the rest of Europe during the World W ...

, which later became an important part of the visual form of his animated films.Interview With Jan Švankmajer, Karolína Bartošová, Loutkář 1, 2016, p. 3-8 He is a leading representative of late Czech

surrealism Surrealism is an art movement, art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike s ...

. In his film work, he created an unmistakable and quite specific style, determined primarily by a compulsively unorthodox combination of externally disparate elements. The anti-artistic nature of this process, based on collage or assemblage, functions as a meaning-making factor. The author himself claims that the intersubjective communication between him and the viewer works only through evoked associations, and his films fulfil their subversive mission only when, even in the most fantastic moments, they look like a record of reality. Some of the works he created together with his wife Eva Švankmajerová.Slovník českých a slovenských výtvarných umělců 1950–2006 (XVII. Šte – Tich), 2006, pp. 182-184

Life and films

Jan Švankmajer was born in Prague on 4 September 1934. His father was a window dresser and his mother a seamstress. His childhood was profoundly influenced by a home

puppet theatre Puppetry is a form of theatre or performance that involves the manipulation of puppets – inanimate objects, often resembling some type of human or animal figure, that are animated or manipulated by a human called a puppeteer. Such a performan ...

,Jan Švankmajer, in: Krčálová M, Sklizeň / Harvest, 2022, p. 24 which he received as an eight-year-old boy for Christmas and gradually made his own puppets and painted the sets. Švankmajer admits that since then, puppets have been firmly embedded in his mental morphology, and he always resorts to them when he feels threatened by the reality of the outside world. He sees them not only in the context of theatre, but as a ritual symbol used in magic. The ludic principle on which Švankmajer's work is based has its roots in his childhood. In 1950-1954 he graduated in

scenography Scenography is the practice of crafting stage environments or atmospheres. In the contemporary English usage, scenography can be defined as the combination of technological and material stagecrafts to represent, enact, and produce a sense of plac ...

at the Higher School of Art Industry in Prague, under Prof. Richard Lander, where he designed and made puppets and sets. His classmates were

Aleš Veselý Aleš Veselý (3 February 1935 – 14 December 2015) was a Czech sculptor, graphic artist, painter and academy teacher. Life Aleš Veselý was born on 3 February 1935 in Čáslav. He came from a mixed Jewish family of an insurance clerk and d ...

and photographer Jan Svoboda. He then studied directing and stage design at the Department of Puppets at the

Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague The Department of Dramatic Theatre (, abbreviated DAMU) is one of three departments at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (alongside the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, ...

(1954-1958), where Lander moved to as a teacher at that time. Even during the most rigid Stalinist regime, the atmosphere at the school was liberal and forbidden books on French modern art circulated among the students, brought by the painting teacher Karel Tondl. His classmate and friend was the later film director

Juraj Herz Juraj Herz (4 September 1934 – 8 April 2018) was a Slovak film director, actor, and scene designer, associated with the Czechoslovak New Wave movement of the 1960s. He is best known for his 1969 horror/black comedy '' The Cremator'', often ci ...

. At the end of his studies, he took part in a sightseeing trip to

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

, where he saw reproductions of

Paul Klee Paul Klee (; 18 December 1879 – 29 June 1940) was a Swiss-born German artist. His highly individual style was influenced by movements in art that included expressionism, cubism, and surrealism. Klee was a natural draftsman who experimented wi ...

's works for the first time. During his studies, he staged the folk puppeteers' play Don Šajn (

Don Juan Don Juan (), also known as Don Giovanni ( Italian), is a legendary fictional Spanish libertine who devotes his life to seducing women. The original version of the story of Don Juan appears in the 1630 play (''The Trickster of Seville and t ...

) at the then ''Small Theatre D 34'' (1957-1958), led by Emil František Burian. In addition to D 34 theatre, he attended the Liberated Theatre and became acquainted with the works of the Russian avant-garde ( Mejerhold, Eisenstein). In his graduation performance ( C. Gozzi, ''The King Stag'') he used a combination of puppets with live actors in masks. Soon after graduation in 1958, he participated as a puppeteer in Radok's short film ''Johannes Doctor Faust'', inspired by folk puppeteers. During the filming he met composer

Zdeněk Liška Zdeněk Liška (16 March 1922 – 13 August 1983) was a Czech composer who produced a large number of film scores across a prolific career that started in the 1950s. He was revelatory in his contribution to the development of electronic music. His ...

, cinematographer Svatopluk Malý and designer Vlastimil Beneš. He briefly worked as a director and designer at the ''State Puppet Theatre'' in

Liberec Liberec (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 108,000 inhabitants, making it the fifth largest city in the country. It lies on the Lusatian Neisse River, in a basin surrounded by mountains. The city centre is well preserved and is pr ...

(the predecessor of Studio Ypsilon). In 1958-1960, he completed his compulsory

military service Military service is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, air forces, and naval forces, whether as a chosen job (volunteer military, volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft (conscription). Few nations, such ...

in Mariánské Lázně, where he drew and painted intensively (''Men'', pen, watercolour on pressed paper, 1959). After returning from the army in 1960, he founded the group ''Theatre of Masks'', which belonged to the Semafor theatre. During the preparation of the first production of ''Starched Heads'', he met Eva Dvořáková, whom he later married. Other productions of the Theatre of Masks were ''Johannes Doctor Faust'', ''The Collector of Shadows'', ''Circus Sucric''. In 1962 he exhibited his drawings in the corridor of the Semafor and Vlastimil Beneš and Zbyněk Sekal, who visited the exhibition, invited him to join the ''Máj 57 group''. He took part in the fourth exhibition of the Máj group in

Poděbrady Poděbrady (; ) is a spa town in Nymburk District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 15,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Elbe River. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument ...

(1961), which was banned after three days, and then exhibited with the members of the group until the end of the 1960s. The avant-garde ''Theatre of Masks'' did not fit Semafor's profile as a musical stage. In 1962, Jiří Suchý closed it down, but Emil Radok facilitated the engagement of the entire group of the ''Theatre of Masks'' in Magician's Lantern. In this year Jan Švankmajer made his first trip to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. In 1963 his daughter Veronika was born. After leaving Semafor, he worked until 1964 as director and head of the Black light theatre company at Magician's Lantern. He directed two performances for the ''Variations'' programmes and later also externally for the ''Magic Circus'', ''The Lost Fairy Tale''. At the same time, together with Emil Radok, he was making up scripts for future films. In 1964 he made his first short film, '' The Last Trick'', based on the principles of black theatre. It features elements typical of all his subsequent work, such as the dynamic use of montage and the juxtaposition of live actors with animated objects. The film was successful abroad, and in the following years Švankmajer was given the opportunity to make short films combining

puppetry Puppetry is a form of theatre or performance that involves the manipulation of puppets – wikt:inanimate, inanimate objects, often resembling some type of human or animal figure, that are animated or manipulated by a human called a puppeteer. S ...

animation Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby still images are manipulated to create moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Animati ...

and elements of live action. In his early films, composed as short grotesques, black humour and peculiarly interpreted poetics of folk puppet plays prevail.Dryje F, in: Eva Švankmajerová, Jan Švankmajer, Anima, animus, animation, 1997, p. 10-12 In the second film from 1964, ''Johann Sebastian Bach: Fantasia in G minor'', the visual component is a kind of ''mannerist informel'' with a recognizable influence of surrealist photographs by Emila Medková. In 1965, he made the film ''Spiel mit steinen'' (Playing with Stones) practically alone, with the help of Eva Švankmajerová and cinematographer Petr Puluj in

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

. He tried out various animation techniques, later used, for example, in the film Dimensions of Dialogue. For the

Expo 67 The 1967 International and Universal Exposition, commonly known as Expo 67, was a general exhibition from April 28 to October 29, 1967. It was a category one world's fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is considered to be one of the most s ...

competition in Montreal, he made a short film ''Man and Technique'' and participated in the film ''Digits'' by Pavel Procházka. In 1968 the Švankmajer family moved to the house No. 97/5 in Nový svět ( Hradčany). In 1968, he signed manifesto The Two Thousand Words. After the

Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia On 20–21 August 1968, the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic was jointly invaded by four fellow Warsaw Pact countries: the Soviet Union, the Polish People's Republic, the People's Republic of Bulgaria, and the Hungarian People's Republic. The ...

in August 1968, the whole family

emigrate Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanentl ...

d to

at the instigation of Eva Švankmajerová. Here he made his second film in an Austrian production in the studio of Peter Puluj (''Picknick mit Weissmann''). In 1968, he received the ''Max Ernst Prize'' at the Oberhausen Film Festival for his film ''Historia naturae''. In 1969 the family decided to return to

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...

. In 1970 he met Vratislav Effenberger and together with Eva Švankmajerová they became members of the Surrealist Group in Czechoslovakia. Between 1971 and 1989 they contributed to samizdat edited anthologies ''Le-La'' and catalogues (''Open Game'', ''Sphere of Dream'', ''Transformations of Humour'', ''Imaginative Spaces'', ''Opposite of the Mirror'').Dagmar Magincová (ed.), 1997, p. 171 After 1989 to the first and only issue of the anthology ''Gambra'' and then to the magazine ''Analogon''. During the short period up to 1970 Švankmajer still managed to make the "

Kafkaesque Franz Kafka (3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was a novelist and writer from Prague who was Jewish, Austrian, and Czech and wrote in German. He is widely regarded as a major figure of 20th-century literature. His work fuses elements of real ...

" allegorical short films ''The Garden'', ''The Apartment'' and ''Silent Week in the House'', the morbid ''Ossuary'' and the "puppet" film ''Don Šajn'' (1970), in which marionettes are replaced by live actors who have wires and guide strings attached to their papier-mâché heads, symbolizing the theme of human manipulation and the limitations of individual freedom. After the advent of the normalization regime, Švankmajer's creative work was hampered by censorship and his short films ''The Garden'' and ''The Apartment'' ended up in the vault. In 1972, as a volunteer, he underwent an experiment with intravenous administration of

LSD Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly known as LSD (from German ; often referred to as acid or lucy), is a semisynthetic, hallucinogenic compound derived from ergot, known for its powerful psychological effects and serotonergic activity. I ...

at the Military Hospital in Prague. The experiment had a devastating effect on him, with anxiety states that he still recalls in his work 30 years later. In 1972-1979 he was banned from filming because he refused to make compromise on the post-production of his film ''

The Castle of Otranto ''The Castle of Otranto'' is a novel by Horace Walpole. First published in 1764, it is generally regarded as the first Gothic novel. In the second edition, Walpole applied the word 'Gothic' to the novel in the subtitle – ''A Gothic Story''. Se ...

'', based on a gothic novel by H. Walpole. In 1973-1980 he worked as a production designer and film trick maker at

Barrandov Studios Barrandov Studios is a set of film studios in Prague, Czech Republic. It is the largest film studio in the country and one of the largest in Europe. Barrandov has made several major Hollywood productions, including ''Mission: Impossible (film), ...

. In 1975 his son Václav was born. In the 1970s, Jan Švankmajer worked as a stage designer at the Theatre on the Balustrade, the Večerní Brno Theatre, and especially at The Drama Club, where he was invited by Jaroslav Vostrý (''Candide, The Educator, Crackle on the Lagoon, The Golden Carriage''). Eva Švankmajerová participated in the performances as a

costume designer A costume designer is a person who designs costumes for a film, stage production or television show. The role of the costume designer is to create the characters' outfits or costumes and balance the scenes with texture and colour, etc. The costum ...

and

stage designer Scenic design, also known as stage design or set design, is the creation of scenery for theatrical productions including plays and musicals. The term can also be applied to film and television productions, where it may be referred to as prod ...

. Since 1976 he and his wife Eva have been creating ceramics under the joint pseudonym Kostelec. As a trick designer and production designer in

, he collaborated on the films of Oldřich Lipský ('' Dinner for Adele'', 1977, '' The Mysterious Castle in the Carpathians'', 1981) and

('' The Ninth Heart'', 1978, '' Upír z Feratu'' (The Vampire of Ferat), 1981). At the end of his persecution, he filmed two of Poe's short stories, The Fall of the House of Usher and The Pendulum, the Pit and Hope, using themes from the work of Villiers de l'Isle Adam. In 1981 Jan and Eva Švankmajer bought a dilapidated castle in Horní Stankov, where they wanted to set up a ceramics workshop. Since then, they have been gradually reconstructing the castle and transforming it into a surreal ''Cabinet of Curiosities'', consisting of their own artefacts and various collections of art and natural objects. Švankmajer's collecting is a form of self-therapy, and in addition to found or purchased objects, it includes art from the natural peoples of Africa and Polynesia. A retrospective of Švankmajer's films from the 1960s attracted international attention at the 1983 FIFA International Film Festival in Annency. He received the ''Grand Prix'' and the ''International Critics' Prize'' for the Dimensions of Dialogue and the

Golden Bear The Golden Bear () is the highest prize awarded for the best film at the Berlin International Film Festival and is, along with the Palme d'Or and the Golden Lion, the most important international film festival award. The bear is the heraldic an ...

at the

Berlinale The Berlin International Film Festival (), usually called the Berlinale (), is an annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of Europ ...

the same year.

Terry Gilliam Terrence Vance Gilliam ( ; born 22 November 1940) is an American-British filmmaker, comedian, collage film, collage animator, and actor. He gained stardom as a member of the Monty Python comedy troupe alongside John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Pa ...

ranks this film among the ten best animated films of all time. At home, Švankmajer became a victim of the score settling between the management of Czechoslovak Television and Short Film Prague, and Dimensions of Dialogue was shown to the ideological committee of the

Communist Party of Czechoslovakia The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia ( Czech and Slovak: ''Komunistická strana Československa'', KSČ) was a communist and Marxist–Leninist political party in Czechoslovakia that existed between 1921 and 1992. It was a member of the Com ...

's Central Committee as a deterrent. After that, he was again unable to work at Short Film studios and went to

Bratislava Bratislava (German: ''Pressburg'', Hungarian: ''Pozsony'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic and the fourth largest of all List of cities and towns on the river Danube, cities on the river Danube. ...

, where he made the film ''Do pivnice'' (Into the cellar) in 1983. In the same year, he published his book ''Hmat a imaginace'' (Touch and Imagination) in five copies as a

samizdat Samizdat (, , ) was a form of dissident activity across the Eastern Bloc in which individuals reproduced censored and underground makeshift publications, often by hand, and passed the documents from reader to reader. The practice of manual rep ...

, summarising the results of his tactile experiments since 1974. He managed to secure money abroad for his project

Alice Alice may refer to: * Alice (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname Literature * Alice (''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''), a character in books by Lewis Carroll * ''Alice'' series, children's and teen books by ...

, but the studios of Short Film and Barandov were not interested in filming. At that time, the state had a monopoly on all film production. So he turned to Jaromír Kallista, whom he knew as the producer of Magician's Lantern, and asked him if he would direct the project with him as an independent film. He presented his first feature-length film

, which was made during 1987 almost exclusively in a Swiss production ( Condor Films), in 1988. The work was a worldwide success and won the ''Best Animated Feature Award'' at the

Annecy International Animation Film Festival The Annecy International Animation Film Festival (, officially abbreviated in English as the Annecy Festival, or simply Annecy) was created in 1960 and takes place at the beginning of June in the town of Annecy, France. Initially occurring ever ...

(JICA). At the same time, The Dimensions of Dialogue won the ''Grand Prize'' for the best film in the festival history. In 1990, he made the political grotesque agitprop film '' The Death of Stalinism in Bohemia'' and in 1992 the short work ''

Food Food is any substance consumed by an organism for Nutrient, nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or Fungus, fungal origin and contains essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, protein (nutrient), proteins, vitamins, ...

'', in which he comes to terms with his gastronomic obsessions. In the following years he devoted himself exclusively to directing feature films. The house at 27 Nerudova Street (

Malá Strana Malá Strana ( Czech for "Little Side (of the River)", ) or historically Menší Město pražské () is a district of the city of Prague, Czech Republic, and one of its most historic neighbourhoods. In the Middle Ages, it was a dominant center o ...

), where Švankmajer had his film studio, was privatised and he had to leave it in the middle of the filming of The

Faust Faust ( , ) is the protagonist of a classic German folklore, German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust (). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a deal with the Devil at a ...

. In 1991, together with Jaromír Kallista, he bought a former cinema in the village of Knovíz and founded his own film studio ATHANOR, where he made next films. At the prestigious Cardiff Animation Film Festival (1992) he was awarded the ''First IFA Prize'' and the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

presented a show of his animated films over two nights. In 1994, Švankmajer's second feature film The

was premiered, starring Petr Čepek in the dual roles of

and Mephisto. Faust, a random man in the crowd, is manipulated by the entire plot and become accustomed to the role of Faust, which he plays to the bitter end. The film is an attempt at actual interpretation of the Faust myth and asks the question of what a man is allowed to know without destroying himself. This relationship is highly ambivalent and therefore provokes contradictory interpretations. The filming was accompanied by a series of tragic deaths and unexplained circumstances, and Petr Čepek himself completed the film at a time when he was already seriously ill. For this performance Čepek was awarded the Czech Lion in memoriam. The film was selected for the prestigious out-of-competition screening at the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...

. In 1994, ''Short Film Prague'' released a set of 26 Švankmajer's films on cassettes. In Great Britain, Jan Švankmajer received the Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1996 Švankmajer made Conspirators of Pleasure, a black comedy about people who follow the principle of pleasure and perform harmless imaginative perversions and rituals. He contrasts their personal freedom with the moderating and repressive role of society, education or school. The film is a sarcastic satire on the contemporary world full of sexual perversions and erotic fetishes. Švankmajer has made the most of his many years of artistic experiments on the subject of tactilism. He concluded the film with the words: ''I believe that black and objective humour, mystification and the cynicism of fantasy are more adequate means of expressing the decadence of the times than the hypocritical, but popular "smell of humanity" in Czech films''. The following film Little Otik (2000) won the Czech Lion for Best Film and Best Art Direction (together with Eva Švankmajerová). In 2003 FAMU awarded Jan Švankmajer the title of

Doctor honoris causa An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...

. During 2004, Eva and Jan Švankmajer had a retrospective exhibition ''Memory of Animation - Animation of Memory'' in

Plzeň Plzeň (), also known in English and German as Pilsen (), is a city in the Czech Republic. It is the Statutory city (Czech Republic), fourth most populous city in the Czech Republic with about 188,000 inhabitants. It is located about west of P ...

and an exhibition called ''Food'' in the Prague Castle Riding Hall. Both were a great success with the general public and were considered by critics to be the artistic event of the year. A retrospective of 30 of his films was shown as part of the ''Plzeň Film Festival'' on the occasion of the author's 70th birthday. On 17 November 2005, the film Lunacy premiered, which is conceived as a philosophical

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...

inspired by the personality of the

Marquis de Sade Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade ( ; ; 2 June 1740 – 2 December 1814) was a French writer, libertine, political activist and nobleman best known for his libertine novels and imprisonment for sex crimes, blasphemy and pornography ...

and the short stories of

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...

. Eva Švankmajerová, who died shortly before the premiere, was awarded the Czech Lion in memoriam for the artistic concept and poster for this film. Their daughter Veronika Hrubá also collaborated on the film. Student Jurry at the Plzeň Film Festival awarded Lunacy as the ''Best Feature Film''. At the 2009

Karlovy Vary International Film Festival The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (, KVIFF) is an annual film festival held in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. The Karlovy Vary Festival is one of the oldest in the world and has become Central and Eastern Europe, Central and Eastern Eur ...

, Jan Švankmajer received the Crystal Globe for ''Outstanding Contribution to World Cinema''. His last feature film so far,

Insects Insects (from Latin ') are hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs of jointed ...

, based on Švankmajer's 1971 short story (inspired by the play Pictures from the Insects' Life of the Čapek brothers, with a reference to

Kafka Franz Kafka (3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was a novelist and writer from Prague who was Jewish, Austrian, and Czech and wrote in German. He is widely regarded as a major figure of 20th-century literature. His work fuses elements of real ...

The Metamorphosis ''The Metamorphosis'' (), also translated as ''The Transformation'', is a novella by Franz Kafka published in 1915. One of Kafka's best-known works, ''The Metamorphosis'' tells the story of salesman Gregor Samsa, who wakes to find himself inex ...

), was screened at film festivals in 2018 and had its UK premiere at the

Tate Modern Tate Modern is an art gallery in London, housing the United Kingdom's national collection of international Modern art, modern and contemporary art (created from or after 1900). It forms part of the Tate group together with Tate Britain, Tate Live ...

. The Rotterdam festival screened ''

'' in the section ''Signatures'' dedicated to great authors and filmmakers. Jan Švankmajer has established an exclusive position in the history of cinema and is recognized as one of the few contemporary Czech filmmakers abroad. By 2018, he had received 36 awards and 17 nominations for his films worldwide, including the 2018 Raymond Roussel Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Film, awarded by the Raymond Roussel Society in Barcelona. Since 1970, Jan Švankmajer has participated in the activities of the ''Surrealist Group in Czechoslovakia'' and is the chairman of the editorial board of the ''Analogon'' magazine (104 issues until 2024), to which he also contributes. In 1990, he participated in the collective exhibition of the Surrealist Group ''The Third Ark'' in Prague's Mánes. Since 1991 he has been a member of Mánes Union of Fine Arts. He animates his films alone ('' The Fall of the House of Usher'') or in collaboration with top animators such as Vlasta Pospíšilová and Bedřich Glaser. In his feature films, he has collaborated with friends from his time at The Drama Club (Jiří Hálek, Petr Čepek) and other proven actors ( Jan Kraus,

Jiří Lábus Jiří Lábus (born 26 January 1950) is a Czech actor, comedian and voice actor. Career Jiří Lábus was born on 26 January 1950 in Prague. From a young age, Jiří Lábus was fascinated by theatre and cinema, often attending performances and l ...

, Pavel Nový,

Jan Tříska Jan Tříska (; 4 November 1936 – 25 September 2017) was a Czech actor who played over 160 roles across stage, film, and television. He worked in the United States after emigrating there in the 1970s, but later returned to his native country f ...

, Martin Huba, Pavel Liška, Václav Helšus, Anna Geislerová, Veronika Žilková, Klára Issová, etc.). Jan Švankmajer uncompromisingly defends his personal freedom and rejects any official awards granted by state authorities. In 1989 he rejected the Merited Artist award, in the 1990s the French

Ordre des Arts et des Lettres The Order of Arts and Letters () is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is the recognition of significant ...

and in 2011 the award proposed by

Václav Havel Václav Havel (; 5 October 193618 December 2011) was a Czech statesman, author, poet, playwright, and dissident. Havel served as the last List of presidents of Czechoslovakia, president of Czechoslovakia from 1989 until 1992, prior to the dissol ...

. He considers the state as a source of organized violence and means of oppression and manipulation. Eva Švankmajerová participated in some of the films as a stage and production designer. Their son Václav Švankmajer is also a filmmaker, including '' The Torchbearer''. He contributed to the artwork for the film

(2018). Švankmajer's daughter Veronika Hrubá collaborated as a costume designer on the films Lunacy ( Czech Lion Award), Surviving Life, and

Awards (selection)

* 1964 Awards at film festivals in Bergamo, Mannheim, Tours, Buenos Aires * 1965 Third Prize for short film

- (''J.S. Bach - Fantasia G-moll'') * 1966 Josef von Sternberg Award, Mannheim-Heidelberg International Filmfestival - (''Rakvičkárna'' (

Punch and Judy Punch and Judy is a traditional puppet show featuring Mr Punch and his wife Judy. The performance consists of a sequence of short scenes, each depicting an interaction between two characters, most typically the anarchic Mr Punch and one other ...

) * 1967 Festival of short films Karlovy Vary,

Trilobit Award The Trilobit Award () is an annual award that recognize accomplishments in filmmaking and television. It is one of highest awards of achievement in film awarded in the Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historica ...

* 1968 Max Ernst Prize,

International Short Film Festival Oberhausen The International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, founded in 1954, is one of the oldest short film festivals in the world. Held in Oberhausen, it is one of the major international platforms for the short form. The festival holds an International ...

- (''Historia naturae'') * 1983 Grand Prix, International Critic´s Prize,

- ('' Dimensions of Dialogue'') * 1984 Jury Prize,

Montreal World Film Festival The Montreal World Film Festival (), commonly abbreviated MWFF in English or FFM in French, was an annual film festival in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from 1977 to 2019.The Pendulum, the Pit and Hope'') * 1985 Critic´s Prize,

Fantasporto Fantasporto International Film Festival (Portuguese: Festival Internacional de Cinema do Porto) is an international genre film festival, annually organized since 1981 in Porto, Portugal. Screening and awarding fantasy, sci-fi and horror orient ...

- ('' The Pendulum, the Pit and Hope'') * 1989 Grand Prix, Cinanima (International Animated Film Festival, Portugal) - (''Darkness/Light/Darkness''), Feature Film Award,

- (''

'') * 1990 Honorable mention for short film,

- (''Darkness/Light/Darkness'') * 1990 Prix special for previous works (best film of 30 years of presentations of animated films), ASIFA * 1994 Special jury prize, nomination:

Crystal Globe (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival) Crystal Globe () is the main award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, first given in the Czech Republic city of Karlovy Vary in 1948. IFFKV presents the following awards in the international film competition,: Official selection ...

- (''

'') * 1994 Czech Lion Award for outstanding contribution to Czech cinema, nomination: Best director, Best script - (''

'') * 1995 Lifetime Achievement Award, Great Britain, Best special effects,

, Annual Czech Film Critics Award Kristián - (''

'') * 1996 Youth Jury Award,

Locarno Film Festival The Locarno International Film Festival is a major international film festival, held annually in Locarno, Switzerland. Founded in 1946, the festival screens films in various competitive and non-competitive sections, including feature-length narr ...

* 1997 Golden Gate Persistence of Vision Award,

San Francisco International Film Festival The San Francisco International Film Festival (abbreviated as SFIFF), organized by SFFILM, is held each spring for two weeks, presenting around 200 films from over 50 countries. The festival highlights current trends in international film and vid ...

* 2001 Czech Lion Award, KVIFF: Best design, nomination: Best director, Best script - ('' Little Otik'') * 2001 Andrzej Wajda Freedom Prize, American Cinema Foundation * 2002 Annual Czech Film Critics Award Kristián - ('' Little Otik'') * 2006 Award for Lifetime Contribution to the Development of Audiovisual Culture FITES * 2006 Award for the best artistic achievement, Sun in a Net Award, Slovak FTA - ('' Lunacy'') * 2009

''For outstanding artistic contribution to world cinema'' * 2010 Czech Lion Award - Best Artwork, Czech Film Critics' Award - nomination: Best director, Best script - ('' Surviving Life'') * 2010 Award for lifetime contribution to cinematography, 5th European Film Festival in Segovia, Spain * 2012 Best Artwork, Sun in a Net Award, Slovak FTA - ('' Surviving Life'') * 2014 Award of the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF),

Karlovy Vary Karlovy Vary (; , formerly also spelled ''Carlsbad'' in English) is a spa town, spa city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 49,000 inhabitants. It is located at the confluence of the Ohře and Teplá (river), Teplá ri ...

* 2018 Czech Lion Award - Best film script - (''

''), nomination: Best director - (''

'') * 2018 Czech Film Critics' Award for best audiovisual achievement - (''

'') * 2018 Medal of Raymond Roussel for Lifetime Achievement in Film,

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

* 2019 Best stage design, Sun in a Net Award, Slovak FTA - (''

'') * 2020 Czech Lion Award nomination: Best documentary (''Alchymická pec'')

Work

Švankmajer's hard-to-classify artistic style developed in the 1960s in parallel with his work in the theatre and animated films. Jan Švankmajer's early drawings were inspired by

. Around 1960, he briefly dealt with structural abstraction, but soon returned to figuration and from the late 1960s onwards embraced

. His objects from the early 1960s can be classified as

only formally, on the basis of similarities in expressivity and surface structure, but in reality they were real objects, subjected to a process of transformation as "accelerated aging" or ornamentation. However, his preoccupation with

runs through his entire film oeuvre, as macro details of scratched walls and age-marked objects, or the sudden transformation of things into undifferentiated matter, form a significant part of the visual form of his animated films. His ''Springs objects'' - usually shoes, mineralized in Karlovy Vary spring water - date from 2009. He became a member of the Surrealist Group, which was formed around Vratislav Effenberger, at a time when the group was going through a crisis. After the occupation of Czechoslovakia in August 1968, the ban on publishing was reinstated, many people went into exile and others resigned from the group. At the same time, the

Surrealist movement Surrealism is an art movement, art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike s ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

disintegrated. Jan and Eva Švankmajer had a significant influence on the revival of the activities of the Surrealist Group. The group's interest in all kinds of imaginative experiments was the basis for the creation of collective anthologies devoted to the themes of interpretation, analogy, eroticism and tactilism. Švankmajer considers

imagination Imagination is the production of sensations, feelings and thoughts informing oneself. These experiences can be re-creations of past experiences, such as vivid memories with imagined changes, or completely invented and possibly fantastic scenes ...

to be a gift that humanizes man. As artist, he was later influenced by the Surrealists

Max Ernst Max Ernst (; 2 April 1891 – 1 April 1976) was a German-born painter, sculptor, printmaker, graphic artist, and poet. A prolific artist, Ernst was a primary pioneer of the Dada movement and surrealism in Europe. He had no formal artistic trai ...

, R. Magritte, G. Chirico, of the older ones

Hieronymus Bosch Hieronymus Bosch (; ; born Jheronimus van Aken ; – 9 August 1516) was a Dutch people, Dutch painter from Duchy of Brabant, Brabant. He is one of the most notable representatives of the Early Netherlandish painting school. His work, gene ...

and especially the

Mannerism Mannerism is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, when the Baroque style largely replaced it ...

Giuseppe Arcimboldo Giuseppe Arcimboldo, also spelled Arcimboldi (; 5 April 1527 – 11 July 1593), was an Italian Renaissance painter best known for creating imaginative portrait Human head, heads made entirely of objects such as fruits, vegetables, flowers, fish ...

. Švankmajer's films ''Playing with Stones'', ''Historia naturae'' and '' Dimensions of Dialogue'' have a direct connection with the principles of Arcimboldo's Mannerist painting. His collections of curiosities (similar to

Rudolf II Rudolf II (18 July 1552 – 20 January 1612) was Holy Roman Emperor (1576–1612), King of Hungary and Croatia (as Rudolf I, 1572–1608), King of Bohemia (1575–1608/1611) and Archduke of Austria (1576–1608). He was a member of the H ...

's kunstkomora), folk puppetry, naive folk art, African and Polynesian masks and fetishes, and art brut are strong and lasting inspirations. He is interested in the authenticity of folk

and the magic associated with puppets, rather than puppets as mere artistic devices or props for animation. The puppet and the thread or guide wire, as an analogy of man's destiny and his connection to something above him that determines his fate, are known from various religions and myths. It is a space for the realization of the "impossible", incompatible with good education, for the realization of even seemingly incredible dreams. The child-puppeteer is thus in fact a shaman, a god and a creator. He cites the French Poète maudit, German

Romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. The purpose of the movement was to advocate for the importance of subjec ...

(

Novalis Georg Philipp Friedrich Freiherr von Hardenberg (2 May 1772 – 25 March 1801), pen name Novalis (; ), was a German nobility, German aristocrat and polymath, who was a poet, novelist, philosopher and Mysticism, mystic. He is regarded as an inf ...

, E. T. A. Hoffmann), and the Surrealists ( A. Breton, K. Teige, B. Péret, V. Effenberger) as major literary sources. The literary inspiration for Švankmajer's films were the works of Lewis Caroll, E. A. Poe,

Auguste Villiers de l'Isle-Adam Jean-Marie-Mathias-Philippe-Auguste, comte de Villiers de l'Isle-Adam (7 November 1838 – 19 August 1889) was a French symbolist writer. His family called him Mathias while his friends called him Villiers; he would also use the name Auguste w ...

. His interpretation of other authors' literary works is ultimately a subjective account that preserves only the terrors, dreams, and infantilism of the world he shares with them. In Švankmajer´s film work, his sense of the concrete irrationality of plots corresponds to some of the types of aggressive cinematic civilism that was applied in the works of the directors of the Czechoslovak "New Wave" (

Miloš Forman Jan Tomáš "Miloš" Forman (; ; 18 February 1932 – 13 April 2018) was a Czech Americans, Czech-American film film director, director, screenwriter, actor, and professor who rose to fame in his native Czechoslovakia before emigrating to the Uni ...

, Pavel Juráček). His work shares a certain "oppositional" attitude with the films of the Czechoslovak New Wave of the 1960s, but otherwise escapes any classification. Among world theatre directors and filmmakers, he was inspired by the

Russian avant-garde The Russian avant-garde was a large, influential wave of avant-garde modern art that flourished in the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, approximately from 1890 to 1930—although some have placed its beginning as early as 1850 and its e ...

theatre artists V. Meyerhold, A. Tairov and

Bauhaus The Staatliches Bauhaus (), commonly known as the , was a German art school operational from 1919 to 1933 that combined Decorative arts, crafts and the fine arts.Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 4th edn., ...

artist O. Schlemmer, by filmmakers S. Eisenstein and D. Vertov. He described films Un Chien Andalou, L'Age d'Or by Buñuel and Dalí, Amarcord,

Roma (1972 film) ''Roma'' (also known as ''Fellini's Roma'' or ''Federico Fellini's Roma'') is a 1972 semi-autobiographical comedy-drama film depicting director Federico Fellini's move from his native Rimini to Rome as a youth. The film was directed by Fellini ...

by F. Fellini and, among the works close to animation, the films of Méliès and David Bowers as a defining cinematic experience. Of contemporary directors, he is close to

David Lynch David Keith Lynch (January 20, 1946 – January 16, 2025) was an American filmmaker, visual artist, musician, and actor. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Lynch was often called a "visionary" and received acclaim f ...

or the Quay brothers. Švankmajer makes films only when they are finished in his imagination, but during the shooting process he does not stick to the script, he looks for new sources of inspiration and tries to reach an acceptable compromise with the original intention. He himself states that filmmaking is a kind of self-therapy, and in his works he repeatedly comes to terms with his idiosyncrasies, anxieties and obsessions that originated in his childhood.Posedlost Jana Švankmajera / The obsession of Jan Švankmajer, Lidové noviny 16.10.1993 His preference for "decadent genres" such as folk puppets and sets, fair-ground mechanical targets, and black novels is at the root of his anti-aesthetic attitude towards filmmaking. Not only his films, but also his collages, prints, ceramics and three-dimensional objects are based on his infantile worldview, which took the form of a puppet stage with symmetrically cut sets and figures hanging on strings. The alchemical and

kabbalistic Kabbalah or Qabalah ( ; , ; ) is an esoteric method, discipline and school of thought in Jewish mysticism. It forms the foundation of mystical religious interpretations within Judaism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal (). Jewi ...

history of Prague is an undoubted inspiration for him, and his work builds on these sources and combines it with

Surrealism Surrealism is an art movement, art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike s ...

and

, which are anchored in the duality of opposites - rationalism with the irrational, sensualism with spiritualism, tradition with innovation, convention with revolt - create the necessary tension for creative activity.Georgia Chryssouli, Surreálně lidské: svět sebeničivých loutek Jana Švankmajera, Loutkář 1, 2016, s. 9-11 In his view,

represents a contemporary form of

that restores art to its magical dignity. Švankmajer strives to make his films, even in their most fantastic moments, look like records of reality. As a filmmaker, he is particularly renowned for his ability to animate any material. He sees film animation not as a technique, but as a magical means capable of animating inanimate matter and thus realising an original infantile desire.Jan Švankmajer, in: S. Ulver, Mediumní kresby, fetiše a film, Film a doba 2008, p. 158-160 In his conception, animation is a transformation or transmutation of matter - from an object to its parts or essence and vice versa, and is close to

alchemy Alchemy (from the Arabic word , ) is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practised in China, India, the Muslim world, and Europe. In its Western form, alchemy is first ...

. As a hermeticist, he believes that objects touched by people in moments of heightened sensibility have an inner life of their own and somehow preserve the contents of the subconscious. In The Fall of the House of Usher, he replaced people with objects that became vehicles for the plot and the emotions of the acting characters and the atmosphere of the story. According to Effenberger, the secret of Švankmajer's imaginative humour lies in the fact that when he juxtaposes lyrical pathos and raw reality, the rawness fades along with the pathos and lyrical reality becomes what it is in the eyes of a child or a poet. In the alternation of genres, the cementing thread in his films is the dream logic, where apparent contingencies take on the form of inescapable fatality and guide the viewer smoothly through the story - the dream. There are no logical transitions between dream and reality, only the physical act of opening and closing the eyelids. Švankmajer's films are subversive and do not conform to any taboos, conventions or prescriptions of reason. They are a rebellion against the consumerist world, a radical revolution, a liberation from rigid reality and a return to the world of free play. He sees destruction as a creative way of challenging rationality, but his conception of

is exclusive and autonomous. According to Švankmajer, surrealism is a realism that seeks the reality beneath the surface of things and phenomena. What is above reality, meets with hermeticism and psychoanalysis. The author maintains absolute freedom and does not calculate with the taste of the audience - he himself says that he is indifferent whether five or five million viewers come to see his film. His work has also influenced several foreign filmmakers, such as

Tim Burton Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and producer. Known for popularizing Goth subculture, Goth culture in the American film industry, Burton is famous for his Gothic film, gothic horror and dark fantasy films. ...

, the Quay brothers, and

Henry Selick Charles Henry Selick Jr. (; born November 30, 1952) is an American filmmaker and animator. He is known for his work in stop motion animation and for directing the films ''The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (1993), ''James and the Giant Peach (film) ...

Quotes

...the theme of freedom, the only theme for which it is still worth picking up a pen, brush or camera... ...it is not worth striving for less than absolute freedom. Society will truncate it beyond recognition in the process anyway. If you start lower than at absolute freedom, you will have no freedom at the end. ...the creative act gives meaning and rebellion (revolt) dignity to life. ibid. p. 362 ...I think that without revolt a normal, decent person cannot live. There is no society that is so ideal that one does not have to revolt against it...

Filmography

* * * * ''

'' (1970), color 31 min., KF PrahaJan Švankmajer: Don Šajn, video
/ref> * ''

Jabberwocky "Jabberwocky" is a Nonsense verse, nonsense poem written by Lewis Carroll about the killing of a creature named "the Jabberwock". It was included in his 1871 novel ''Through the Looking-Glass'', the sequel to ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' ...

'' (1971), color 13 min., KF Prague for Western Wood Studio, USAJan Švankmajer: Jabberwocky, YouTube video
/ref> * '' Leonardo's Diary'' (1972), color 11 min., KF Praha, Jiří Trnka Studio, Corona Cinematografica RomaJan Švankmajer: Leonardův deník, Česká televize
/ref> * '' Castle of Otranto'' (1977), color 17 min., KF Prague, Jiri Trnka StudioJan Švankmajer: Otranský zámek, video
/ref> * ''The Fall of the House of Usher'' (film, 1980) (1980), B&W 15 min., KF Prague, Jiri Trnka StudioJan Švankmajer: Zánik domu Usherů, Česká televize
/ref> * '' Dimensions of Dialogue'' (1982), color 11;30 min., KF Prague, Jiri Trnka StudioJan Švankmajer: Možnosti dialogu, YouTube
/ref> * ''Do pivnice'' (Into the Cellar) (1982), color 15 min., SFT BratislavaJan Švankmajer: Do pivnice, YouTube video
/ref> * '' The Pendulum, the Pit and Hope'' (1983), b&w 15 min., KF Praha, Studio Jiří Trnka, collaboration on production design by Eva ŠvankmajerováJan Švankmajer: Kyvadlo, jáma a naděje, YouTube video
/ref> * ''Manly Games'' (1988), color 12 min., KF Prague, Jiří Trnka StudioJan Švankmajer: Mužné hry, Česká televize
/ref> * ''Another Kind of Love'' (1988), color 3;33 min., Virgin Records, Nomad Films, Koninck InternationalJan Švankmajer: Another Kind of Love, video
/ref> * ''Tma / Světlo / Tma'' (Dark / Light/ Dark (1989), color 8 min., KF Praha, Jiri Trnka StudioJan Švankmajer: Tma, světlo, tma, video
/ref> * '' Meat Love'' (1989), color 1 min., MTV USA, Nomad Films, Koninck InternationalJan Švankmajer: Zamilované maso, video
/ref> * ''Flora'' (1989), color 0;20 min., MTV USAJan Švankmajer: Flora, video
/ref> * ''Self Portrait'' (1989), color 1 min., Canada, Czech Republic, Japan, USAJan Švankmajer: Autoportrét, video
/ref> * '' The Death of Stalinism in Bohemia'' (1990), color 10 min., J. Kallista and Jan Švankmajer for BBC, Nomad FilmsJan Švankmajer: Konec stalinismu v Čechách, video
/ref> * ''

'' (1992), color 17 min., J. Kallista and Jan Švankmajer for Channel 4, Heart of Europe Prague, Koninck InternationalJan Švankmajer:''Food'' on YouTube
/ref>

Feature films

* '' Something from Alice'' (1988), color 84 min., Condor Film Zürich, Hessischer Rundfunk, Channel 4, Eva Švankmajerová collaborated on the production design * ''

'' (1994), color 95 min., Athanor s.r.o., co-production Heart o Europe Prague, Lumen Films, BBC Bristol, Koninck Int., Pandora Films, co-production Eva Švankmajerová * '' Conspirators of Pleasure'' (1996), color 78 min., Athanor s.r.o, co-production DelFilm, Koninck Int., costumes Eva Švankmajerová * '' Little Otik'' (2000), color 125 min., Athanor s.r.o., co-production UK, received three Czech Lions in the categories Best Film, Art Design and Poster (2001), costumes Eva Švankmajerová * '' Lunacy'' (2005), color 118 min., costumes Eva Švankmajerová, Czech Oscar nomination * '' Surviving Life'' (2010), color 105 min, world premiere at

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival (, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival held in Venice, Italy. It is the world's oldest film festival and one of the ...

). * ''

'' (2018), color 98 min., world premiere at

International Film Festival Rotterdam International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) is an annual film festival held at the end of January in various locations in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, focused on independent and experimental films. The inaugural festival took place in June 1972, ...

Collaboration on films

* 1958 ''Johannes Dr. Faust'' (directed by Emil Radok), puppet actor * 1965 ''Digits'' (directed by Pavel Procházka), production designer

Props and animation design

* 1977 '' Dinner for Adele'', director Oldřich Lipský, art and animation by Jan Švankmajer * 1978 '' The Ninth Heart'', director

, art collaboration and subtitles Jan Švankmajer, Eva Švankmajerová * 1981 '' Upír z Feratu'' (The Vampire of Ferat), director

, original car engine design Jan Švankmajer * 1981 '' The Mysterious Castle in the Carpathians'', director Oldřich Lipský, art by Švankmajer, animation by Bedřich Glaser * 1983 ''

Návštěvníci (TV series) Návštěvníci (''The Visitors'') is a Czechoslovak sci-fi TV series filmed between 1981 and 1983 by Czech director Jindřich Polák. The 15 parts were co-produced with television-companies of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany at t ...

'', director Jindřich Polák, art by Jan Švankmajer, animation by Bedřich Glaser * 1983 ''Three Veterans'', director Oldřich Lipský, art by Jan Švankmajer, animation Bedřich Glaser

Filmography overviews + DVD

* Jan Svankmajer: The Ossuary and Other Tales (USA, Canada, 2013), DVD includes The Last Trick, Don Juan, The Garden, Historia Naturae, Johann Sebastian Bach, The Ossuary, Castle of Otranto, Darkness/Light/Darkness, and Manly Games. * Jan Švankmajer, The complete short films. 1, Early shorts 1964-72. 2, Late shorts 1979-92. 3, Extras, BFI DVD Publishing, United Kingdom 2007 * Peter A. Hames (Editor), The Cinema of Jan Švankmajer: Dark Alchemy, 224 pp, Wallflower Press 2008, * Jan Švankmajer, text by Lorenzo Codeli et al., cat. 128 p., Stamperia Stefanoni Bergamo 1997 (filmography overview) * Jan Švankmajer: Het ludicatief principe, text by Edwin Carels et al., 72 p., 1991 (filmography overview)

Documents

Bertrand Schmitt and Michel Leclerc: ''Les chimères des Švankmajer - Documentaire 2001'', TV France
* ''Alchymická pec / Alchemical Furnace'', 2020, directors Adam Oľha, Jan Daňhel, dokumentary film on Athanor, Jan Švankmajer, Eva Švankmajer, Jaromír Kallista, and others * ''Kunstkamera'', 2022, 51 (113) min., pictorial guide to the work of Jan Švankmajer at Staňkov Castle.

Related works

* The Cabinet of Jan Svankmajer, 1984 British surreal short stop-motion film by the Quay Brothers, a homage to Jan Švankmajer

Works of art

During his studies at secondary school, Jan Švankmajer was influenced by interwar

and later especially by

. At the turn of the 1950s and 1960s, he briefly turned to structural abstraction as an artist (''Corossion'', 1960, ''Slope'', 1961). Informel, however, was only the starting point from which he returned to concrete reality (''The Great Corrosion'', 1963). He gradually replaced existential melancholy with black humour and the creation of three-dimensional objects (''Bottle-Drowned'', 1964, ''Hourglass Isolation'', 1964, ''Three Heads'', 1965). From the mid-1960s onwards, information about foreign art reached Czechoslovakia, and Švankmajer was able to get acquainted with the works of

René Magritte René François Ghislain Magritte (; 21 November 1898 – 15 August 1967) was a Belgium, Belgian surrealist artist known for his depictions of familiar objects in unfamiliar, unexpected contexts, which often provoked questions about the nature ...

and other surrealists. At the same time, he also discovered Rudolphine

, which influenced his late

Informel Informalism or Art Informel () is a Painting, pictorial movement from the 1943–1950s, that includes all the Abstract painting, abstract and Action painting, gestural tendencies that developed in France and the rest of Europe during the World W ...

. Arcimboldo became a lifelong obsession for him and the inspiration for many of his artworks, especially his

collage Collage (, from the , "to glue" or "to stick together") is a technique of art creation, primarily used in the visual arts, but in music too, by which art results from an assembly of different forms, thus creating a new whole. (Compare with pasti ...

s and three-dimensional assemblages. He also dedicated a short film to him, ''Historia naturae'' (1967), which was associated with the creation of collages (''Švank-meyers Bilderlexikon''),

etching Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal. In modern manufacturing, other chemicals may be used on other type ...

s (''Natural History'') and objects (''Natural History Cabinet'') on the theme of fantasy zoology. After Jan Švankmajer and his wife joined the Surrealist Group around Vratislav Effenberger, from 1971 to 1989 he contributed as author of texts and illustrations to anthologies and catalogues published by the group as

s (''Otevřená hra / Open Game, Sféra snu / Sphere of Sleep, Proměny humoru / Transformations of Humour, Obrazotvorné prostory / Imaginative Spaces, Opak zrcadla / Opposite Mirror, Gambra / Gambra''). At that time, he also experimented with spatial collage (the nativity scene ''The Birth of Antichrist'', 1971) and, from 1974, especially with the tactile sense. In his writings, he consistently refuses to identify

with an aesthetic derived from certain founding figures or to reduce it to Surrealist artistic practices, but considers Surrealism to be a "world attitude" as an amalgam of philosophy, ideology, psychology, and magic, and therefore remains relevant. According to him, act of creation is the result of psychic automatism or the materialization of an inner model. The idea is only a part of the creative process, not an impulse to it (Jan Švankmajer: The Ten Commandments). Even in the making of a film, the script serves only as a starting point, but the process of filming itself awakens unplanned images in the unconscious and the final form is created only by the "chaotic authenticity" of the creative process. Švankmajer's Manifesto of New Applied Art, entitled ''The Magic of Objects'' (1979-1991), is an attempt to legalize irrationality in this field of art and to return the magical dimension to the outwardly utilitarian activity. Functionalism represented "hygienic purification", which returned applied art to the zero point.

began to occupy the space thus cleared and items of daily use were created that retained their utilitarian function without losing their magic. Ceramics, which he and Eva Švankmajerová had been working on in the 1970s, was understood this way. The initial impulse was to create the objects of his desire and to satisfy his frustration with the unavailability of the objects of the Rudolf´s Kunstkammer, while eating from them or storing objects in them.

Collages, drawings and prints

Collage Collage (, from the , "to glue" or "to stick together") is a technique of art creation, primarily used in the visual arts, but in music too, by which art results from an assembly of different forms, thus creating a new whole. (Compare with pasti ...

s have been one of Švankmajer's key artistic devices since the 1960s. He understands them as a technical and at the same time noetic principle and, in addition to art cycles or spatial assemblages, he often uses them in short and feature films. The polarity of his creative expression lies in the connection between the high and the low, the aggressive and the lyrical, the fatal and the grotesque. In the early 1970s he began to create the ''Svank-meyers Bilderlexikon'', as a kind of encyclopedia of the alternative world, including fictional fauna and flora, technical devices, architecture, ethnography and cartography. Švankmajer's significant inspiration is nature, from whose register he selects at will and creates anatomical re-creations of fanciful animal and bird creatures.Jan Kříž, in: Imaginativní oko, imaginativní ruka, 2001, p. 6 After two years of intensive work, the ''Bilderlexikon'' project remained a mere torso, and in the early 1970s there was no chance of publishing it in print. Therefore, the author selected ten collages and converted them by hand into graphic etching. The ''Bilderlexikon'', which the author continued to develop in later years, includes the cycles ''Geography'', ''Zoology'', ''Technology'' (''Masturbation Machine'', 1972-1973), ''Architecture'', ''Unconventional anatomy'' (1998), and ''Insects (Hexapoda)'' (2018). In 2016, he followed up his cartographic series with the collages', in which he pasted depictions of skin diseases from a medical atlas into historical maps (''Sick Maps'', 2016). The collage series ''The Great Adventure Novel'' (1997-1999) was created as a reminiscence of his youthful predilection for adventure novels and a tribute to

. Švankmajer first illustrated and redrew the illustrations and eventually used them as part of his collages. In 1999, jointly with Eva Švankmajerová, he created a series of coloured lithographs with fantasy themes as part of a collective game invented by the Surrealists ('' Cadavre exquis'', 1999). These works combine the liberating element of play with a critical analysis of psychosocial contents at different levels of consciousness. In 2000, he created a series of collages entitled ''Yet Nothing Happens'', in which the red head of the devil appears as a memento in romantic illustrations from the turn of the century. File:Jan Švankmajer, Přírodopis, Tab. 1 (1973), lept.jpg, Natural Science, Tab. 1 (1973), etching File:Jan Švankmajer, Přírodopis, Tab. 2 (1973), lept.jpg, Natural Science, Tab. 2 (1973), etching File:Jan Švankmajer, Přírodopis, Tab. 7 (1973), lept.jpg, Natural Science, Tab. 7 (1973), etching File:Jan Švankmajer, Bilderlexikon - Hexapoda 4 (2016), litografie.jpg, Bilderlexikon - Hexapoda 4 (2016), litography File:Jan Švankmajer, Bilderlexikon - Hexapoda 5 (2023), litografie.jpg, Bilderlexikon - Hexapoda 5 (2023), litography File:Jan Švankmajer, Masturbační stroj Dana (1972), akvatinta.jpg, Masturbation Machine Dana (1972), akvatint File:02. Jan Švankmajer, Arcimboldeskní hlava, kolorovaná akvatinta, 70 x 50 cm, 1975.jpg, Arcimboldesque head, 1975, colored akvatint File:Jan Švankmajer, Japonské strašidlo 3 (2011), dřevoryt.jpg, Japanese Ghost 3 (2011), woodcut File:16. Jan Švankmajer, Erotická koláž, 42 x 52 cm, 2016.jpg, Erotic collage, 2016 File:Jan Švankmajer, Slintající pes (2023), litografie.jpg, Drooling Dog (2023), litography

Frottages and combined techniques

At the same time Švankmajer was also engaged in coloured frottage (''Man Greets a Demon'', 1999) and collaged some frottage (''Two Dogs'', 1999). In his texts he increasingly deals with the warning signs of the crisis of civilization and the unfortunate state of human society.Jan Švankmajer, Paths of Salvation, 2018 After the Prague Art Brut exhibition in 1998, Jan Švankmajer became interested in Art Brut artists and became a collector of these works and together with Eva Švankmajerová began to create medium drawings.Janda J, 2004, p. 189 They are usually based on frottage, created from randomly scattered substrates, similarly to fortune-telling from lines in the palm of the hand, coffee grounds, animal entrails, etc. This is followed by a kind of passive interpretation, where the hand complements this base with a drawing. Gradually an automatic ornament asserts itself, which is not merely decorative, but captures a certain "rhythm of the soul". In this way, the medium's drawing approaches something archetypal, touching on the music of natural peoples, primal jazz, nursery rhymes and chants. A side line is a series of drawings combined with collage, which the artist, in connection with his other compulsive obsession, called the ''Scatological Cycle'' (2017). File:20. Jan Švankmajer, Hovno pozorující svět, akvarel, tužka, inkoust, 42 x 29,5 cm, 2017.jpg, Shit watching the world, frottage, watercolour, ink, 2017 File:12. Jan Švankmajer, Karel Šebek dnes, asambláž 57 x 43 x 12 cm, 2015.jpg, Karel Šebek today, assemblage, 2015 File:13. Jan Švankmajer, Manfrede, míra tvých zločinů je dovršena, asambláž 75 x 103 x 9 cm, 2015.jpg, Manfred, the measure of your crimes is complete, assemblage, 2015 File:19. Jan Švankmajer, Nepatřičná anatomie, komb. technika 51 x 41 x 7 cm, 2017.jpg, Inappropriate anatomy, combined technique, 2017 File:22. Jan Švankmajer, Decentní felace, asambláž, tuš na papíře, 31,5 x 45 cm, 2017.jpg, Decent fellatio, assemblage, ink on paper, 2017

Ceramics

In the 1970s, when Švankmajer was not allowed to make films, he looked for other ways to make a living. Eva Švankmajerová, who came from Kostelec nad Černými lesy, where there is a strong tradition of pottery, was close to ceramics. Together they started to create majolica and engobe clay pottery under the "pottery brand" ''JE and EJ Kostelec''. The ceramic objects conceal cavities (''Little and Big Demon'', 1990) and invite exploration of the contents, but also touching, stroking or caressing, thus connecting key points of human sensuality. Some replicate various objects from Švankmajer's collections in the form of metaphors, thus representing ceramic rebirths of the original models (''Arcimboldo's Head,'' 1981, ''Beethoven Portrayed by Arcimboldo'', 1993). Jan Švankmajer considered their joint ceramic work to be an attempt to "return the outwardly utilitarian activity to its magical dimension and the legality to irrationality. The shape of the plate, cutlery, etc., can be used to evoke a number of associations during a meal and to eroticize the whole process of eating or to make it a cannibalistic-aggressive act." Švankmajer's objects encompass a range of artistic techniques, including ceramics combined with various objects (''Masochistic alchemy'', 1966). In the second half of the 1990s, he created the Alchemy series (''Distillation'', ''Fifth Essence'', 1996). Objects in glass vitrines often depict some form of dialogue (''Dialogue of bald'', 1994, ''Dialogue on Life and Death'', 1996), they are a reference to famous surrealist works (''Eva's Shoes - a tribute to Méret Oppenheim'', 2008) or represent a persiflage of the key Rosecrucian symbol of the ''mystical wedding'' - the fusion of king and queen, in the form of an assemblage of heterogeneous elements including an alchemical retort, shoes, brushes, bones, skull, etc. (''Alchemical Wedding'', 1994). File:Jan Švankmajer, Masochistická alchymie (1966).jpg, Masochistic alchemy (1966) File:Jan Švankmajer, Dialog plešatých (1994).jpg, Dialogue of bald (1994) File:Jan Švankmajer, Bílá alchymie (1994-1996).jpg, White alchemy (1994-1996)

Gestural sculpture and tactile objects

Švankmajer's imagination, which allows him to animate any kind of material, also allows him to freely use materials when assembling puppets. He created the stone precursors of his puppets from coloured stones in his film ''Playing with Stones'' (1965) and later used a similar principle to build his gestural puppets from ceramic clay. The puppet thus lost its initially unambiguous character, ceased to be an actor and became a symbol, a kind of multi-significant "proto-fetish" (''Marionette of the Unknown God'', 2002, ''Death'' - a puppet from the series ''Knight, Death and the Devil, a tribute to Albrecht Dürer'', 2012). Unlike gestural painting, gestural sculpture is not mediated by any instrument and is a pure expression of the emotional and psychological state of the creator. In this work with matter, the primary concern is not visual sensation and aesthetic impact, but the record (fossil, diary) of immediate emotion. Gestural sculpture is intended to evoke associations linked to the sense of touch, to expand the field of tactile perception and to explore previously uncharted areas. The results are tactile objects designed to massage the body and to explore hitherto unknown erogenous zones, tactile portraits, tactile objects inspired by dreams and concealing unexpected tactile sensations, tactile poems as linearly ordered tactile gestures recorded in fired ceramic clay, tactile marionettes assembled from pieces of roughly worked clay, mantras and yantras. Some of Švankmajer's gestural puppets seem to deny their own purpose as puppets - they have everything that belongs to a puppet, except that they cannot be guided. Their charm lies in their menacing and mocking stillness, in which the conventional sign is transformed into an unsettling poetic image, as liberating as it is confusing. His seemingly innocuous monsters, combining gesture-moulded clay with brushes, forks, sieves and other ordinary objects, exude an Ubu-esque preoccupation that mixes tragedy with humour, as well as a sarcastically mocking, almost animalistic cheekiness or contemptuous narcissism. Švankmajer evokes tactile feelings in his films as well, as he assumes the existence of "tactile memory" - a planted tactile experience, related, for example, to sensuality.Jan Švankmajer, in: Eva Švankmajerová, Jan Švankmajer, Anima, animus, animation, 1997, p. 85 In his film ''The Fall of the House of Usher'', the gestural animation of clay, which here represents primordial matter (prima materia in the alchemical sense), is used to interpret the poem by E. A. Poe Švankmajer's need to reveal the primary sources of human imagination is also related to his tactile objects. They were originally created as an experiment for the theme of interpretation within the Surrealist Group (''Tactile portrait of E. Š'', 1977), but the result was so stimulating that he continued to work on them for seven years, when he was not allowed to make films, and they became one of the most interesting aspects of his work. According to the artist, the sense of touch stands somewhere in the middle between the human senses, which provide purely objective (sight, hearing) or subjective (smell, taste) information. As a sense that has long had a purely utilitarian role and could not, for practical reasons, be aestheticized, the sense of touch retains a certain primitive connection to the world and an instinctive quality. Tactile sensation has one of the most important functions in eroticism, recalling associations linked to the deepest layers of the human unconscious (''The Pleasure Principle'', Tactile Object, 1996), elevating touch to one of the senses with the potential to inspire modern art. He considers the sense of touch to be the primordial sense through which the newborn child becomes acquainted with the surrounding world by means of touching the mother. The sense of touch also plays a major role in the practical realization of erotic relationships. Erotic inspiration is present in Švankmajer's films as a manifest provocation and parody of utilitarian sex, sarcasm, black humour, interpretation of sexual deviance and existential anxiety. In connection with the film '' Conspirators of Pleasure'' (1996), a series of artworks was created in which the Švankmajer family used tactile ceramic objects with sexual connotations (''Animated Man and Animated Woman'', 1996, ''Philosophy in the Bedroom'' - Realised Drawing, 1996, ''Philosophy in the Boudoir'', 1996), etc. File:04 . Jan Švankmajer, Taktilismus všedního dne, 28,5 x 24,5 cm, 2000.jpg, Everyday tactilism, 2000 File:11. Jan Švankmajer, Taktilní báseň, keram. hlína, hřebíky, srst, překližka, 50 x 35 cm, 2014.jpg, Tactile poem, ceramic clay, nails, hair, plywood, 2014

Assemblages and objects

Some of the works are related to Švankmajer´s early films from the 1960s (''Playing with Stones'', ''Historia naturae'') and are part of a continuous creative process where each object becomes a stimulus for a new interpretation. The objects in the glass cases are intended for the Cabinet of curiosities project, whose function is initiatory rather than aesthetic. According to Effenberger, Švankmajer's ''Natural History Cabinet'', containing phantom creatures that seem to have escaped scientific registration only to be discovered by the imagination of a rebellious child determined to protect poetic freedom, is a work of philosophical attitude rather than mere artistic sarcasm. This cycle defies both the rationality of nature and the rationality of modern art. The symbolic merging of disparate elements contains a sense of the miraculous that has blended the tragic with the humorous in the human imagination since ancient cultures. Some of the most impressive objects "animate" minerals, combining bodies with cut

agate Agate ( ) is a banded variety of chalcedony. Agate stones are characterized by alternating bands of different colored chalcedony and sometimes include macroscopic quartz. They are common in nature and can be found globally in a large number of d ...

s and human limbs (''Copulating Agates'', ''Mineralogy with Three Legs'', 2003). After 2011, he has been immersing some of his spatial objects in the Carlsbad Mineral Spring, creating "premature fossils". His "fossilized objects" become covered with a layer of mineral spring deposition, which gives them a uniform reddish-brown surface - a colour characteristic of Švankmajer's other works and originating in childhood memories. The artist thus attempts to bring the creation back to nature or at least to involve it in the creative process. The result, according to him, is a kind of "fossils of this fucking civilization as a prefigurement of its destruction" (''The End of Civilization II?'', 2011). File:05. Jan Švankmajer, Souboj Kořenů, asambláž 54 x 80 x 41 cm, 2009.jpg, Duel of roots, 2009 File:09. Jan Švankmajer, Zvíře-klaun, asambláž 63 x 71 x 38 cm, 2013.jpg, Animal-Clown, 2013 File:06. Jan Švankmajer, Falešná želva, asambláž 45 x 117 x 66 cm, 2005.jpg, Fake Turtle, 2005 File:23. Jan Švankmajer, Setkání mineralogie se zoologií, 54 x 60 x 38 cm, 2017.jpg, Meeting of Mineralogy with Zoology, 2017 File:08. Jan Švankmajer, Ježek (Er. europeus, minerály), asambláž 26 x 30 x 36 cm, 2012.jpg, Hedgehog, 2012 File:10. Jan Švankmajer, Handštan I, asambláž 32 × 44 × 48 cm, 2013.jpg, Handstan I, 2013 File:07. Jan Švankmajer, Mineralogická kolena (plech, minerály), asambláž 36 x 41 x 41 cm, 2010.jpg, Mineralogic Elbows, 2010

Fetishes and reliquaries

Puppets and assemblages are followed by objects that have been labelled by the artist directly as fetishes. These are not replicas of objects used for magical acts by natural peoples, nor do they have the aesthetic qualities of statues or masks (''Flying Fetish'', 2002). Švankmajer's fetishism consists in linking an unfinished series of sources and contexts, which develop over time from the simpler to the more complex and, like a snowball, pile on top of each other the author's affects, emotions, knowledge and obsessions that give energy to the process. He thus proceeds against the meaning of the puppet itself, and in his creative mania he moves on to ever more ambiguous objects, whose external form and semantic functions metamorphose, thus increasing their symbolic quality. Such a fetish is, for example, the nail-battered statue of the Crucified Christ in Lunacy. The author declares of the fetish - "it is our creation to which we have attributed magical powers. We have charged it with desire and imagination and expect a miracle from it". Fetishes are wounded to make them obey and fed to give them the power to fulfil our wishes. Jan Švankmajer imitated the ritual of the Congolese Africans, who hammer spikes and sharp pieces of metal into their fetishes to seal their covenant with them. He gathered assemblages of various remains of civilization in drawers from old furniture and "fed" them with blood and cornmeal. When everything began to deteriorate in the drawers in the sun and the fly larvae formed wounds in the matter, he completed the transformation with a heat gun, covered it with asphalt and buried it in ash. In this way, he partly returned to the

starting point of his work (''Drawer Fetish'', 2015-2017). He creates a life-size ''Horse Fetish'' as the central object of his

Kunstkamera The Kunstkamera (, derived from German ''Kunstkammer'' lit. "art chamber") formally organized as the Russian Academy of Science's Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (, ''Muzey antropologii i etnografii imeni Petra Velikogo R ...

, using a commercially available laminated horse body, which he combines with parts of various mammal skeletons. The resulting object is reminiscent of some of Peter Oriešek's airbrush drawings on the theme of

Vanitas ''Vanitas'' is a genre of symbolizing the temporality, transience of life, the futility of pleasure, and the certainty of death, and thus the vanity of ambition and all worldly desires. The paintings involved still life imagery of transitory i ...

. Embedded in the belly of the fetish is one of his assemblage objects in a glass case - ''Pegasus Embryo''. Švankmajer's modern reliquaries are shells of various animal remains, adorned with haberdashery props such as braids, faux pearls, buttons and tassels (''Reliquary of the Sixteen Martyrs'', 2015) and accompanied by a drawing. Some are figurative (''Reliquary XV'', 2016), while others are created spontaneously by the artist and are reminiscent in character of Švankmajer's medium frottage and drawings (''Reliquary in Landscape'', 2016). In the reliquaries, the seemingly sacred and the profane intertwine and are transformed into co-carriers of a sarcastic vision, becoming parts of '' The Emperor's New Clothes'' in a sell-out of today's world of contentless institutions and hackneyed political, economic, or value clichés in general. Their message is not only subjectively grotesque, but above all psychologically and psychosocially aggressive (''Coalition Partners, Resting Titan Before the End of the World'', 2018). File:14. Jan Švankmajer, Svatba Juana Miró s japonskou spisovatelkou, 67 x 86 cm, 2016.jpg, Wedding of Juan Miró with japanese female writer, 2016 File:15. Jan Švankmajer, Relikviář, asambláž 65 x 74 x 11 cm, 2016.jpg, Relikviary, 2016 File:17. Jan Švankmajer, Kartáče, asambláž 77 x 58 cm, 2016.jpg, Brushes, 2016 File:Jan Švankmajer, Moje nejmilejší boty (2000).jpg, My favourite shoes, 2000, fetish

Marionettes

File:Jan Švankmajer, Loutka ženy se třemi prsy (2002).jpg, Woman with three breasts (2002) File:Jan Švankmajer, Africká marioneta (2008).jpg, African Marionette (2008)

Illustrations

* Eva Švankmajerová: Baradla Cava /Jeskyně Baradla/, ed. Association of Analogon, Prague 1995, * Lewis Caroll, Alice in Wonderland (Jap.) * Edogawa Rampo, The Living Chair (Jap.) * Vratislav Effenberger, Eva Švankmajerová, Whips of Conscience, Dybbuk, Prague 2010, * Kajdan (Kwajdan), a book of Japanese ghost stories

Representation in collections (selection)

* Museum of Art Olomouc * Gallery of Fine Arts in Cheb * Gallery of Modern Art in Hradec Králové * Gallery Klatovy / Klenová * Pražská plynárenská, a.s., Prague * private collections at home and abroad

Exhibitions

Author exhibitions (selection)

* 1961 Kresby a tempery / Drawings and tempera, Semafor

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

* 1963 Objekty / Objects, Viola theatre, Prague * 1977 Infantile Lüste, Galerie Sonnenring,

Münster Münster (; ) is an independent city#Germany, independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a ...

(with E. Švankmajerová) * 1983 Přírodopisný kabinet / Natural Science cabinet, Prague Film Club * 1987 Bouillonnements cachés,

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

and

Tournai Tournai ( , ; ; ; , sometimes Anglicisation (linguistics), anglicised in older sources as "Tournay") is a city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia located in the Hainaut Province, Province of Hainaut, Belgium. It lies by ...

(with E. Švankmajerová) * 1989 Retrospektive of films,

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

* 1991 La contamination des sens,

Annecy Annecy ( , ; , also ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Haute-Savoie Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, regi ...

(with E. Švankmajerová) * 1991 Het ludicatief principe,

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

* 1991 La fuerza de la imaginación,

Valladolid Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...

* 1992 Cyfleu breuddwydion / The Communication of Dreams,

Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

(with E. Švankmajerová) * 1993 Das Lexikon der Träume, Filmcasino

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

* 1994 Transmutace smyslů / Transmutation of the Senses, Central European Gallery and Publishing House, Prague * 1994 El llentguatge de l'analogia,

Sitges ; , ) is a town about 35 kilometres southwest of Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain, renowned worldwide for Sitges Film Festival, its film festival, Carnival, and LGBTQ culture. Located between the Garraf Massif and the Mediterranean Sea, it is know ...

(with E. Švankmajerová) * 1995 Athanor,

Telluride, Colorado Telluride is the county seat and most populous town of San Miguel County, Colorado, San Miguel County in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Colorado. The town is a former silver mining camp on the San Miguel River (Colorado), San M ...

(with E. Švankmajerová) * 1996 Haptic perception, Arcimboldo and Vanitas,

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...

(with E. Švankmajerová) * 1997 Mluvící malířství, němá poezie / Talking painting, silent poetry, Obecní galerie Beseda, Prague (with E. Švankmajerová) * 1997 Přírodopisný kabinet / Natural Science Cabinet, Gallery of Josef Sudek, Prague (s E. Švankmajerovou) * 1998/2001 Anima, animus, animace (s E. Švankmajerovou), Gallery at the White Unicorn -

Klatovy Klatovy (; ) is a town in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 23,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument zones, urban monument zone. Administr ...

Český Krumlov Český Krumlov (; , ''Böhmisch Krumau'') is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 13,000 inhabitants. It is known as a tourist centre, which is among the most visited places in the country. The historic centre ...

Cheb Cheb (; ) is a town in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 33,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Ohře River. Before the Expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia, expulsion of Germans in 1945, the town was the centre of the G ...

Hradec Králové Hradec Králové (; ) is a city of the Czech Republic. It has about 94,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Hradec Králové Region. The historic centre of Hradec Králové is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech R ...

Jihlava Jihlava (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 55,000 inhabitants. Jihlava is the capital of the Vysočina Region, situated on the Jihlava (river), Jihlava River on the historical border between Moravia and Bohemia. Historically, Jihla ...

, Washington,

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , ; ; ) is the second-largest List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city in the Netherlands after the national capital of Amsterdam. It is in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, part of the North S ...

* 1999 Jan Švankmajer,

Musée d'art moderne et d'art contemporain The Musée d'art moderne et d'art contemporain (Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art), also known as MAMAC, is a museum dedicated to modern art and contemporary art. It opened on 21 June 1990, in Nice, France. Location The Museum is located nea ...

(MAMAC),

Nice Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one million Annecy Annecy ( , ; , also ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Haute-Savoie Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, regi ...

, Institut International de la Marionnette, Charleville * 2003 Mediumní kresby a fetiše / Medium drawings and Fetishes, Nová Paka, Galerie Les yeux,

* 2003/2004 Memoria dell´animazione - Animazione della memoria,

Parma Parma (; ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmesan, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, ...

, Gallery of Plzeň City * 2004 Jídlo - retrospektiva 1958-2004 / Food - retrospective 1958-2004, Riding Hall of

Prague Castle Prague Castle (; ) is a castle complex in Prague, Czech Republic serving as the official residence and workplace of the president of the Czech Republic. Built in the 9th century, the castle has long served as the seat of power for List of rulers ...

(with E. Švankmajerová) * 2004/2005 Syrové umění / Raw Art, Gallery Klatovy/Klenová,

Moravian Gallery in Brno The Moravian Gallery in Brno () is the second largest art museum in the Czech Republic, established in 1961 by the merging of two older institutions. It is in five buildings: Pražák Palace, Governor's Palace, Museum of Applied Arts, Jurkovič ...

(with E. Švankmajerová) * 2010/2011 Jan Švankmajer: Přežít svůj život / Survive Life, Artinbox Gallery, Prague * 2011 Das Kabinett des Jan Švankmajer: Das Pendel, die Grube und andere Absonderlichkeiten,

Kunsthalle Wien Kunsthalle Wien is the city of Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city ...

Museumsquartier * 2011/2012 Jan Švankmajer: Krátké filmy z 60. let / Short films of the 1960s, Gallery of Fine Arts in Cheb * 2012 Jan Švankmajer, Kerstin Engholm Galerie,

* 2012/2013 Jan Švankmajer: Možnosti dialogu. Mezi filmem a volnou tvorbou / Dimensions of Dialogue - Between Film and Free Artwork, Dům U Kamenného zvonu, Prague, Museum of Art,

Olomouc Olomouc (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 103,000 inhabitants, making it the Statutory city (Czech Republic), sixth largest city in the country. It is the administrative centre of the Olomouc Region. Located on the Morava (rive ...

* 2014 Metamorphosis (V. Starevič, J. Švankmajer, Quay Brothers), Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art * 2014/2015 Jan Švankmajer: Naturalia, Museum Kampa - Nadace Jana a Medy Mládkových / Foundation of Jan and Meda Mládek, Prague * 2015 Cabinet of Jana Švankmajer (Ivan Melicherčík Collection), Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum,

* 2016 Jan Švankmajer: Lidé sněte / Dream on!, Artinbox Gallery Prague * 2016 Jan Švankmajer: Objekty / Objects, DSC Gallery, Prague * 2018 Jan Švankmajer: Relikviáře, Galerie Millennium Prague * 2019/2020 Jan Švankmajer, Eva Švankmajerová: Move little hands… "Move!", Kunsthalle im Lipsiusbau,

Dresden Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...

* 2023 Jan Švankmajer: Nepřírodopis / Nonnatural Science, Museum Rýmařov and Octopus Gallery * 2023 Jan Švankmajer: Nepřirozené příběhy / Nonnatural Stories, Kebbel-Villa , Oberpfälzer Künstlerhaus,

Schwandorf Schwandorf is a town in the Upper Palatinate in Bavaria, Germany, which is the seat of the Schwandorf (district), Schwandorf district. It lies on the river Naab. Geography Geographical location Schwandorf is located at the intersection of ...

* 2024 Eva Švankmajerová / Jan Švankmajer, DISEGNO INTERNO, Gallery of Central Bohemian Region,

Kutná Hora Kutná Hora (; ) is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 22,000 inhabitants. The history of Kutná Hora is linked to silver mining, which made it a rich and rapidly developing town. The centre of Kutná Hora, i ...

Collective exhibitions (selection)

* 1968/1969 Art tchécoslovaque, Maison des Jeunes et de la Culture (MJC),

Orléans Orléans (,"Orleans"
(US) and Basel Basel ( ; ), also known as Basle ( ), ; ; ; . is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine (at the transition from the High Rhine, High to the Upper Rhine). Basel is Switzerland's List of cities in Switzerland, third-most-populo ...

* 1971 45 zeitgenössische Künstler aus der Tschechoslowakei. Malerei, Plastik, Grafik, Glasobjekte, Baukunst,

Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

* 1981 Groupe surréaliste tchécoslovaquie, Galerie Phasme,

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

* 1991-1992 Třetí archa (Skupina československých surrealistů) / Third Arc (Czechoslovak Surrealist Group), Mánes,

* 1993 Das Umzugskabinett, Galerie 13,

Hanover Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...

* 1994 Europa, Europa: Das Jahrhundert der Avantgarde in Mittel- und Osteuropa, Bundeskunsthalle,

Bonn Bonn () is a federal city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located on the banks of the Rhine. With a population exceeding 300,000, it lies about south-southeast of Cologne, in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region. This ...

* 1997 Očima Arcimboldovýma / By Arcimboldo´s Eyes, National Gallery Prague * 2000 Tschechischer Surrealismus und Art Brut zum Ende des Jahrtausends, Palais Pálffy (Österreichisches Kulturzentrum),

* 2003/2004 World of Stars and Illusions: Gems of the Czech Film Poster Tradition, Czech Centre,

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

Macau Macau or Macao is a special administrative regions of China, special administrative region of the People's Republic of China (PRC). With a population of about people and a land area of , it is the most List of countries and dependencies by p ...

* 2004 Tsjechische l´art brut tchèque, Musee d'art spontane (Museum voor spontane kunst),

* 2007 Skupina Máj 57 / Máj 57 Group,

, Císařská konírna / Imperial Stables * 2007/2008 Exitus: Tod alltäglich,

Vienna Künstlerhaus The Künstlerhaus in Vienna's 1st district has accommodated the Künstlerhaus Vereinigung since 1868. It is located in the Ringstrassenzone in between Akademiestraße, Bösendorferstraße and Musikvereinsplatz. The building was erected betwee ...

* 2009 Spolek výtvarných umělců Mánes (1887 - 2009) / Verein Bildender Künstler Manes (1887 - 2009): Historie a současnost významného českého uměleckého spolku / Geschichte und Gegenwart des Tschechischen Kunstvereins, Saarländische Galerie – Europäisches Kunstforum e.V.,

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

* 2009/2010 Gegen jede Vernunft: Surrealismus Paris - Prag, Wilhelm-Hack-Museum,

Ludwigshafen Ludwigshafen, officially Ludwigshafen am Rhein (; meaning "Ludwig I of Bavaria, Ludwig's Port upon the Rhine"; Palatine German dialects, Palatine German: ''Ludwichshafe''), is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in the German state of Rh ...

* 2012 Jiný vzduch: Skupina česko-slovenských surrealistů 1990–2011 / Other Air: the Czech-Slovak Surrealist Group 1990-2011, Old Town Hall, Prague * 2013/2014 Czech Posters for Film. From the Collection of Terry Posters,

National Film Archive of Japan The is an independent administrative institution and one of Japan's seven national museums of art which specializes in preserving and exhibiting the film heritage of Japan. In its previous incarnation, it was the National Film Center, which was pa ...

National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo The , also known as MOMAT, is the foremost museum collecting and exhibiting modern Japanese art. The museum, in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan, is known for its collection of 20th-century art and includes Western-style and ''Nihonga'' artists. It has a bra ...

Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...

* 2014 Metamorfosis: Visiones fantásticas de Starewitch, Švankmajer y los hermanos Quay,

Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona The Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (also known by its acronym, CCCB) is an arts centre in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Situated in the El Raval, Raval district, the centre's core theme is the city and urban culture. The CCCB organi ...

* 2015 Einfach phantastisch!, Barockschloss Riegersburg * 2021/2022 Surrealism Beyond Borders,

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...

* 2023 À flanc d'abîme: Surréalisme et Alchimie, Centre International du Surréalisme et de la citoyenneté mondiale, Saint-Cirq-Lapopie * 2024 Kafkaesque - Franz Kafka & současné umění / Franz Kafka & Contemporary Art, DOX, Centrum současného umění / Centre for Contemporary Art, Prague

Literary work

Jan Švankmajer writes down his dreams, and then translates some of them into film scripts or theatre one-act plays. In his literary texts, he makes no secret of his sceptical view of the current form of human civilisation, which is destroying the spiritual essence of man with its pragmatism, utilitarianism and rationalism. The genre that, in his opinion, most accurately corresponds to its present situation, is the black grotesque. Švankmajer writes, that state is an instrument of repression and the common man a victim of manipulation, as an actor in his film Faust. Freedom and personal integrity can only be preserved through personal revolt. Art has been replaced by advertising and entertainment shows, and consumerism has become the new ideology. Humanity, perhaps out of impatience, tries to introduce all noble and humanistic ideas first in a swift and bloody way, and only after the failure of this brutal variant does it embark on the lengthy path of peaceful evolution.Jan Švankmajer, in: Solařík B (ed.), 2018, p. 149 Švankmajer's apocalyptic visions foresee a post-civilizational disintegration of nation-states, coupled with the return of a new feudalism in the form of some kind of principalities, controlled by multinational concerns, where ordinary people will once again become serfs. In 1983 he published his work "Touch and Imagination" in five copies as a samizdat, which was then reprinted in 1994 by Kozoroh Publishing.

Bibliography

* Luboš Jelínek, Jan Švankmajer (eds.): Jan Švankmajer - Grafika. Obrazový soupis 1972 - 2023 / Prints, Pictorial inventory 1972 – 2023, 97 p., Gallery Art Chrudim, Gallery Vltavín, Prague 2023, * Jan Švankmajer: Švank-mayers Bilderlexikon, 320 s., Dybbuk, Prague 2022, * Jan Švankmajer, Jednotný proud myšlení aneb život se rodí v ústech (Velký dobrodružný román) / The Unified Stream of Thought, or Life is Born in the Mouth (A great adventure novel), Dybbuk, Praha, 2020, * František Dryje (ed.): Jan Švankmajer, Cesty spasení / Paths of Salvation, Dybbuk, Prague 2018, * Jan Švankmajer, Touching and Imagining: An Introduction to Tactile Art, I.B.Tauris & Co. Ltd, London 2014, * František Dryje (ed.): Jan Švankmajer, Síla imaginace / The Power of Imagination, Dauphin () and Mladá fronta (), Prague 2001 * Eva Švankmajerová, Jan Švankmajer, Imaginativní oko, imaginativní ruka / Imaginative Eye, Imaginative Hand, Vltavín, Prague 2001, * Evašvankmajerjan: Anima, animus, animation, catalogue and bibliography (cs., en., de.), 185 p., Arbor vitae, Slovart s.r.o, Prague 1997 * Jan Švankmajer, Hmat a imaginace: Úvod do taktilního umění – Taktilní experimentace 1974–1983 / Touch and Imagination: an Introduction to Tactile Art - Tactile Experimentation 1974-1983, 235 p., samizdat 1983, published by Kozoroh, Prague 1994

Collective Proceedings

* František Dryje, Šimon Svěrák, Roman Telerovský (eds.), Princip imaginace / The Principle of Imagination, Spolek Analogon, Prague 2016 * Opak zrcadla / The Opposite of a Mirror, anthology of the Surrealist Society in Czechoslovakia, Genf Prague 1985, samizdat * Proměny humoru, Transformations of Humour, catalogue for the thematic exhibition of the Surrealist Society in Czechoslovakia, Genf Prague 1984, samizdat * Sféra snu / Sphere of Dream, catalogue for the thematic exhibition of the Surrealist Society in Czechoslovakia, Le-La, Genf Prague 1983, samizdat * Otevřená hra / Open Game, Prague 1979, samizdat * Le-La 11, 12 (dedicated to the Surrealist Society in Czechoslovakia), Genf Prague 1977, samizdat

References

Sources

Monographs

* Bruno Solařík (ed.), Jan Švankmajer, 304 p., Albatros Media a.s., Prague 2018, * Keith Leslie Johnson, Jan Švankmajer: Animist Cinema, 210 p., University of Illinois Press 2017, * František Dryje, Bertrand Schmitt (eds.), Jan Švankmajer, Ivo Purš, Dimensions of Dialogue—Between Film and Fine Art, 508 p., Arbor Vitae, Řevnice 2012, * Ursula Blickle, Gerald Matt (eds.), Das Kabinett des Jan Švankmajer: das Pendel, die Grube und andere Absonderlichkeiten, 239 p., Art Pub Incorporated, 2011, * Peter Hames, The Cinema of Jan Švankmajer: Dark Alchemy, 224 p., Wallflower Press; 2nd edition, 2007, * Charles Jodoin-Keaton, Le cinéma de Jan Švankmajer, un surréalisme animé, 128 p., Editions les 400 coups, Montréal 2002, ROUGE PROFOND 2011, * Maia Bouteillet, Jan Švankmajer, un surréaliste du cinéma d'animation, Les Éditions Ciné-Fils, Strasbourg 1999, * Peter Hames: Dark Alchemy. The films of Jan Švankmajer, 223 p., Flick Books, Trowbridge 1995, * Simeona Hošková, Květa Otcovská (eds.), Jan Švankmajer, Transmutace smyslů / Transmutation of senses, 104 p., Středoevropská galerie a nakladatelství Prague 1994

Catalogues

* Metamorphosis. Fantasy Visions in Starewitch, Švankmajer and the Quay Brothers, 192 p., CCCB - Cabinet de Premsa i Comunicació de la Diputació de Barcelona 2014, * Bruno Solařík, František Dryje (eds.), Jiný vzduch: Skupina česko-slovenských surrealistů 1990–2011 / Other Air: Group of Czech-Slovak Surrealists 1990-2011, cat. 192 p., Art Movement - Sdružení Analogonu, Prague 2012 * Gaudia, Evašvankmajerjan, 131 s., Kyuryudo Art Publishing Co., Tokyo 2005, * František Dryje, Bruno Solařík (eds.): Eva Švankmajerová, Jan Švankmajer: Jídlo / Food, cat. 236 p., Prague Castle Administration, Arbor vitae, 2004, , * Jan Švankmajer, František Dryje, Syrové umění. sbírka Jana a Evy Švankmajerových / Raw Art. Collection of Jan and Eva Švankmajer, Arbor vitae, 2004, * Jan Švankmajer, Eva Švankmajerová, memoria dell' animazione, animazione della memoria, (it.), 167 p., Ed. Gabriele Mazotta, Milano 2003, * Eva Švankmajerová & Jan Švankmajer: De bouche à bouche, Maurice Corbet et al., cat. 168 p., Les Éditions de l'Œil, Montreuil 2002, * František Dryje, Jan Švankmajer: Síla imaginace / Power of imagination, 271 p., Dauphin, Mladá fronta 2001, * Jan Švankmajer: Un surréaliste du cinéma d'animation, Vratislav Effenberger et al., cat. 74 p., Musée d'Art Moderne et d'Art Contemporain (MAMAC), Nice 1999 * Bruno Fornara, Francesco Pitassio, Angelo Signorelli (eds.), Jan Švankmajer, Bergamo Film Meeting ´97, Bergamo 1997 * Jan Švankmajer, L'alchimiste du surréel, catalogo della retrospektiva a Mulhouse 1997 * Dagmar Magincová (ed.), Eva Švankmajerová, Jan Švankmajer, Anima animus animace - mezi filmem a volnou tvorbou, Slovart; Arbor vitae, Prague 1997, * Peter Hames (ed.), Dark Alchemy (The Films of Jan Švankmajer), text R. Cardinal et al., Flicks Books, Trowbridge 1995, * Das Lexikon der Träume: Jan Švankmajer: Eine Werkschau, collective of authors, cat. 48 p., Filmcasino, Vienna 1993 * The Communication of Dreams, Oriel 31 at the Davies Memorial Gallery, Cardiff 1992 * Jan Švankmajer: La fuerza de la imaginacion, texts Jan Švankmajer, Stanislav Ulver, cat. 63 p., Semana internacional de Cine de Valladolid 1991 * Třetí Archa, 1970 - 1991: Surrealistická skupina v Československu / The Third Ark, 1970 - 1991: The Surrealist Group in Czechoslovakia, 64 p., Mánes Prague 1991 * La conmanination des sens, Le Centre International du Cinéma d'Animation, Annecy 1991 * Bouillonnements cachés, Editions Confédérations Parascolaires, Bruxelles 1987 (with Eva Švankmajerová) * Eva Švankmajerová, Jan Švankmajer, Infantile Lüste, Sonnenring Galerie Münster, November 1977

Encyclopaedias

* Slovník českých a slovenských výtvarných umělců 1950–2006 (XVII. Šte – Tich), pp. 182-184, Výtvarné centrum Chagall, Ostrava 2006, * Anděla Horová (ed.), Nová encyklopedie českého výtvarného umění (Dodatky), Academia, nakladatelství Akademie věd České republiky, Prague 2006, * Všeobecná encyklopedie v osmi svazcích (7: ř/š), 428 pp., Diderot, Prague 1999, * Všeobecná encyklopedie ve čtyřech svazcích (Díl 4: ř/ž), 717 pp., Nakladatelský dům OP, Prague 1998, * Kdo je kdo v České republice (94/95), 720 s., Modrý jezdec, spol. s r.o., Prague 1994, * Kdo je kdo Česká republika, Federální orgány ČSFR 91/92 (II. díl N-Ž), 662 pp., Nakladatelství Kdo je kdo, Prague 1991, * J. H. Matthews, Languages of Surrealism, U. Missouri Press, Columbia 1986, * J. Brabec (ed.), Slovník českých spisovatelů, Sixty-Eight Publishers Co., Toronto 1982 * Adam Biron, René Passeron (eds.), Dictionnaire général du Surréalisme et de ses environs, 464 pp., Office du Livre S.A., Fribourg 1982, * J. H. Matthews, The Imagery of Surrealism, 293 pp., Syracuse University Press 1977 * René Passeron (ed.), Encyklopédie du surréalisme, Somogy Éditions d'art, Paris 1977

General sources

* Jan Švankmajer: Flat, in: The Uncanny in the Everyday, Stephanie D’Alessandro and Matthew Gale (eds.), Surrealism Beyond Borders, 384 s. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Tate Modern, London 2021, , p. 229 * John Grant, Animated Movies Facts, Figures and Fun, (JŠ, Něco z Alenky, p. 69, Faust, p. 71) AAPPL Artists and Photographers Press, Ltd., 2006, * Peter Hames, The Czechoslovak New Wave, 288 p., Wallflower Press 2005 (1st ed. 1985), , cz edition KMa, 2008, * Steven Jay Schneider, Tony Williams (eds.), Horror International, Wayne State University Press 2005, * Peter Hames, The Cinema of Central Europe, 291 p., Wallflower Press, London and New York 2004, * John Grant, Masters o animation, 208 pp., NY: Watson-Guptill Publications, New York 2001, * Martine Lusardy, Alena Nádvorníková, L' art brut tchèque, Paris 2002, * Vincent Bounoure & Michael Löwy, Moments du Surréalisme, 256 p., Editions L´Harmattan, Paris 1999, (p. 204-207) * Alena Nádvorníková, K surrealismu / Surrealism, 348 s., Torst, Prague 1998, (p. 223-267) * Angela Carter, American Ghosts and Old World Wonders, 160 p., Trafalgar Square; New edition (January 1, 1994), * Giannalberto Benazzi, Cartoons. Le cinema d'animation, 1892-1992, Liana Levi 1991, * James Donald (ed.), Fantasy and the Cinema, 304 p., British Film Institute; First Edition (January 1, 1989), * Daniel J. Goulding (ed.) Post New Wave Cinema in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Bloomington: Indiana Univ. Press, 1989, * David W. Paul, Politics, Art, and Commitment in the East European Cinema, 314 p., Palgrave Macmillan 1984, * Petr Král, Le surréalisme en Tchécoslovaquie : choix de textes 1934-1968, 359 p., Gallimard, Paris 1983,

Articles (selection)

* Peter Hames, Bringing up baby, Sight and Sound 10, 2001, pp. 26–28 * Brigit Gerhard, Svankmajer, Death, Surrealism and Assorted Perversion, The Chronicles 9, 1998, pp. 12–13 * Wendy Jackson, The Surrealist Conspirator: An Interview With Jan Svankmajer, Animation World Magazine 2-3, 1997 * Jan Uhde, The Arcimboldo of Animation, Kinema, Fall 1995 * Michael O´Pray, Between Slapstick and Horror, Sight and Sound 9, 1994, pp. 20–23 * Michael Beddow, Dialogues with the Devil, Times Literary Supplement no. 4776, 1994, pp. 22–23 * Philip Strick: Faust, Sight and Sound 4, 1994, pp. 40–41 * Animating the Fantastic (Jan Švankmajer), Afterimage 13, London 1987 * Julian Petley, The Cabinet of Jan Svankmajer—Prague's Alchemist of Film, Monthly Film Bulletin 53 (June 1986), pp. 188–189

External links

*
abART Information System: Jan Švankmajer

Athanor Film Company

Jan Švankmajer: Interview, Nandita Kumar

Stopmotia Interviews: Jan Švankmajer, 2020

Jan Švankmajer - IFFR Big Talk #1, International Film Festival Rotterdam 2018

Interview with Jan Švankmajer, KVIF TV, 2015

Interview: Jan Švankmajer, 2014

Bertrand Schmitt and Michel Leclerc: Les chimères des Švankmajer - Documentaire 2001, TV France

Jan Švankmajer. Printing of lithography, 2022

Jan Uhde: Jan Švankmajer, Kinema, Spring 1994

Brothers Quay -1984- The Cabinet of Jan Svankmajer

ASIFA The International Animated Film Association (French: ''Association Internationale du Film d'Animation'', ASIFA) is an international non-profit organization founded in 1960 in Annecy, France by well-known animation artists including Canadian an ...

News, Vol. 13, Nr. 2/2000 (reprint) {{DEFAULTSORT:Svankmajer, Jan 1934 births Living people Film directors from Prague Czech animators Czechoslovak film directors Czech animated film directors Czech surrealist artists Czech experimental filmmakers Culture of the Czech Republic Stop motion animators Clay animators Czech fantasy artists Horror artists Surrealist filmmakers Horror film directors Artists from Prague Sun in a Net Awards winners Academy of Performing Arts in Prague alumni Czech satirists Czech satirical film directors Czech collage artists