“He was sending a message to future generations”: Artist Hynek Martinec pays tribute to Jan Palach with new work
A painting of the death mask of Jan Palach was unveiled on Friday at a memorial to the young man who set himself on fire in connection with the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia that began on August 21, 1968. The work is by the UK-resident visual artist Hynek Martinec, who attended the presentation ceremony in Všetaty, the Central Bohemian village where Palach grew up. I spoke to him beforehand.
“In London, when there was lockdown and we could hardly walk to the park, I was looking for some heroes from the past. And Jan Palach, of course, came up, very quickly.
“I selected three or four heroes and I started to do Jan Palach as the first painting, which is one metre square.
“It really helped me to survive the difficult era the whole world was going through.
“And when I did it I just felt like it was a very positive message, because there is going to be light at the end – things will change.”
Death masks are very chilling things to see. Why did you choose to do the portrait, or painting, on the basis of the death mask, rather than simply a photo of Palach alive?
“Because I think it’s more direct. I wanted to show how difficult it must have been for, of course, the family, and for the nation at that time.
“It seems like it was the only proper ‘waking up’ [of the nation], though we know what followed afterwards.
“But I think when you look at that death mask, it’s very striking.
“I painted on the left part of the death mask a tricolor, to remind us of Czechoslovakia.
“If I had painted him when he was, like, 15… and I did look at the online archive and researched many images of him… I just thought it needed to have a strong message, and the death mask delivers that, I think.”
What’s the plan for the painting at the Jan Palach Memorial?
“The plan is for it to remain there for a few years. To be honest, I don’t know for how long, but I’m hoping it will be for five or maybe more years.
“It’s quite a good conclusion, because when I was approached by the Czech art dealer Barbora Půlpánová – who said she had a collector who would like to buy the painting – I said it would be difficult, because I think this painting should speak publicly, it should be shown in a public building or institution.
“And then we came to this conclusion, to show it at the Palach Memorial in Všetaty.
“So I’m so happy that the collector agreed, the National Museum [which runs the memorial] agreed and now we are celebrating with an event on August 21.”
For many people, Palach was a great hero of the Czech nation. At the time when he died [in January 1969] the Communists presented him as a naive young man who didn’t know what he was doing, and that idea did take hold with some people. How do you view what he did, setting himself on fire in protest at apathy in the face of the Soviet occupation?
“Exactly, these were such high stakes – he committed suicide basically, and I’m sure that many people would not agree with that.
“Because he was young. He could have continued with his life and maybe been politically active.
“You know, I’m not knowledgeable here and I don’t want to get deeper into this. But for me, as I see it now, it’s a positive or key element in Czech or Czechoslovak culture.
“I think he goes beyond that, which for me as an artist is extremely important.
“He somehow intuitively knew that this needed to be done at the right moment – he was sending a message to future generations.
“That’s how I see his legacy.
“And from that point of view I would always say it was very positive, even though it’s extremely difficult to agree with suicide, of course.
Related
-
Home of Jan Palach to become permanent memorial
As the 50 anniversary of Jan Palach’s self-immolation draws near, the National Museum has released details on a project it has been preparing for over a year. The house…
-
Remembering Jan Palach: 57 years since his self-immolation
On January 16, Czechs mark 57 years since Jan Palach set himself on fire in central Prague – a wake-up call to Czechoslovak society after the 1968 Soviet occupation.
-
The sounds of 1968 and 1969: Jan Palach and the abnormality of normalization
Through the sound archives we tell the tragic story of Jan Palach, we look at his legacy, and trace the beginnings of the process that came to be known as “normalization”.
