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Works on Paper

Basement Gallery

INSTITUTEAOOQ – Project Veľká Hradná II., 2000-10

Felt-tip pen, print, pen, white paint, paper
30, 6×46cm

Courtesy The Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava

Two tables with works on paper give an impression of how Stano Filko continuously developed his System SF over the decades. It is apparent that System SF is a metaphysical system in which Filko combines fragments from scientific disciplines such as philosophy, astronomy, and physics with pseudo-scientific theories. He uses the system to develop a visual form of thinking that crosses borders in different ways, among them the borders between art and life, subjectivity and objectivity, east and west, and material and cognition, to name only the most important.

Two sheets show EXIZSTEAOQ = HAPPSOCSF System / ANTE BIGBANGSF 5.D. (19952005) and RETROQ System SF (1995 – 2005) colored numbered columns that clearly illustrate the distinctions in System SF. Each column is devoted to one of 12 colors or chakras and presents the connections to different areas of being, senses, elements, signs of the compass, and dimensions. Filko also attributes a specific philosophical doctrine or school to the features of each chakras, ranging from Heidegger, Wittgenstein, and Kant to Aristotle. The system cannot be grasped through a knowledge of rational sources alone, however, but must be seen as a paradoxical order shaped also in many ways by emotional components. 

Another sheet entitled Self-portrait – Phylko (198890) illustrates this connection: In the center of a rectangular colored field there is a photo self-portrait of Filko, by means of which the artistic ego appears as the starting point of the system. This ego is not to be seen as unified, however, but consists of various cloned” identities that Filko draws on another sheet in graffiti-like forms. In six different colors this work shows arrangements of letters that are all permutations of Filko’s name. Filko accords these different periods of time, and they seem to express different clones of his own identity, as in his own narrative about his clinical deaths.”

It is typical in Filko’s System SF that very different fields of knowledge are drawn on, and that these gain a subjective component through their artistic appropriation. The sheet The Lost World of Mammoths in Slovakia (198595) uses a newspaper article about mammoths in Slovakia to show how far artistic appropriation can go and how improbable it is that this system could ever produce any kind of unified and rationalist whole.

It is very clear that Filko’s interest in the cosmic space and in aviation and space exploration were very important for his System SF. Several sheets allude to outer space, with the colors and chakras of the system presented as spheres on a black background, reminiscent of both color samples and planets. On one of these works the system is linked with a pyramid, a symbol that Filko saw as representing the ideal form of the universe and that he also placed on the roof of his studio. In his famous artist’s studio Snežienková Filko also implemented his system in the arrangement of real rooms. System SF became a comprehensive ordering principle and an archive of Filko’s own life. He also had the idea of devoting an entire museum in his home town of Veľká Hradná to the system, which was sadly not realized. His plans for this are presented in two project sketches.

EXIZSTEAOQ = HAPPSOCSF System / ANTE BIGBANGSF 5.D, 1995 – 2005
Print, mixed media, felt-tip pen, paper
30,6 × 46 cm
Courtesy The Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava

RETROQ System SF, 1995 – 2005
Felt-tip pen, print, pen, perforation, mixed media, paper
29,7 × 42,1 cm
Courtesy The Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava

Self-portrait – Phylko / Autoportrét – Phylko, 1985 – 95
Xerocopy, pen, felt-tip pen, paper
42 × 29,7 cm
Courtesy The Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava

The Lost World of Mammoths in Slovakia / Stratený svet mamutov na Slovensku, 1985 – 95
Print, paper
42 × 29,7 cm
Courtesy The Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava

From the series Mandala 3.4.5.D / Zo série Mandala 3.4.5.D., ca. 2005
Mixed media, xerocopy, felt-tip pen, whitening liquid, paper
29,7 × 42 cm

From the series PSYCHOAIOQ / Zo série PSYCHOAIOQ, ca. 2010
Mixed media, xerocopy, paper
30,5 × 91 cm

System SF (The First, Second and Third Clones), System SF (Prvý, druhý a tretí klon), ca. 2000
Pen, felt-tip pen, paper
29,7 × 21 cm

From the cycle Noah’s Ark for Velka Veľká Hradná / Z cyklu Noemova archa pre Veľkú Hradnú, 2006-09
Paint, felt-tip pen, pen, digital print, paper
30,2 × 42,5 cm

BIGSF BANGSF SUNSTARSF SYSTEMSF, 1995 – 2005
Xerocopy, print, perforation, felt-tip pen, paper
29,7 × 42 cm
Courtesy The Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava

FIRSTIMESPACEIQ, 1995 – 2005
Print, perforation, paper
46 × 30,5 cm
Courtesy The Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava

OLD + NEW TESTAMENT / STARÝNOVÝ ZÁKON. From the cycle Dwelling of Contemporaneity and Reality / Z cyklu Obydlie súčasnosti a skutočnosti, 1985 – 95
Print, paper
42 × 29,7 cm
Courtesy The Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava

Flight, Murmur, Fertility… / Let, Šum, Plodnosť, 1967
Pen, felt-tip pen, paper
20,7 × 29,7 cm

SINGULAR TRUTH / Stano Filko Master’s Studio, 1995 – 2005
Xerocopy, print, paper
29,7 × 42 cm
Courtesy The Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava

Stano Filko AUTENTKSF I. Text art, 2005-12
Print, pen, perforation, felt-tip pen, paper
42 × 29,7 cm
Courtesy The Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava

Stano Filko AUTENTKSF Biography / Stano Filko AUTENTKSF Biografia, 2005-12
Print, mixed media, paper
46 × 30,6 cm
Courtesy The Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava

Stano Filko AUTENTKSF III. Text art, 2008-12
Print, mixed media, paper
42 × 29,7 cm
Courtesy The Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava

TRANZSIT PRIEVANSF II. Project Tranzit, 2005-10
Felt-tip pen, xerocopy, print, pen, white paint, paper
29,7 × 42 cm
Courtesy The Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava

5.D UNIVERSESF Pyramid I. / 5.D UNIVERZSF Pyramída I., 1995 – 2005
Felt-tip pen, xerocopy, pen, perforation, mixed media, paper
30,5 × 46cm
Courtesy The Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava

Modern Tower of Space / Moderná veža vesmíru I., 1966 – 67
Pencil, watercolor, paper
41,9 × 29,4 cm

Clothes from the exhibition Dwelling 1966 of Reality Contemporaneity” / Šaty z výstavy Obydlie 1966časnosti – skutočnosti”, 1967
Print on paper, felt-tip pen
30 × 42 cm

DSQ 4.D Bomb / DSQ 4.D Bomba, 1985 – 95
Print, paper
29,7 × 42 cm
Courtesy The Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava

Phylko – Synchron – Diachron, 1985 – 95
Print, pen, paper
25 × 35 cm
Courtesy The Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava

From the series EGO 4.5.3.D TRIADAQ / Zo série EGO 4.5.3.D TRIADAQ, ca. 1992
Watercolor, pen, white paint, paper
32,5 × 47,5 cm

Dwelling 1966 of Reality Contemporaneity / Obydlie 1966časnosti – skutočnosti, 1967/​ca. 1995
Xerocopy of the catalogue, pen, paper
21 × 28 cm

From the series S.F.FEMINY- HERMAFRODIT / Zo série S.F.FEMINY- HERMAFRODIT, 1996/​ca. 2005
Whitening liquid, perforation, xerocopy, paper
29,5 × 42 cm

RETRO VELKAQ HRADNAQ I, 1995 – 2005
Felt-tip mixed media, print, paper
29,7 × 42,1 cm
Courtesy The Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava

RETRO VELKAQ HRADNAQ II, 1995 – 2005
Felt-tip pen, print, paper
29,7 × 42,1 cm
Courtesy The Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava

Dwelling 1966 of Reality Contemporaneity (Poster) / Obydlie 1966časnosti – skutočnosti, 1967/​ca. 2000
Ink, pen, whitening liquid, felt-tip pen
69,3 × 99 cm

SLOVAK ENTITAQ 4.D. Mobil III., 1964/​ca. 2010
Pen, felt-tip pen, whitening liquid, perforation, digital print
42 × 29,6 cm

S.F. = 7th(VIOLET)SPIRITEAOQ, ca. 2010
Pen, felt-tip pen, whitening liquid, xerocopy, paper
29,5 × 42 cm

From the cycle ALTRUISTEAOQ (Leonardo da Vinci) / Z cyklu ALTRUISTEAOQ (Leonardo da Vinci), ca. 2010
Found printed material, metal, pen, clear plastic sleeve
44,5 × 30 cm

INSTITUTEAOOQ – Project Veľká Hradná I. / INSTITUTEAOOQ Projekt Veľká Hradná I., 2000-10
Felt-tip pen, xerocopy, print, pen, white paint, paper
30,6 × 46 cm

Courtesy The Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava INSTITUTEAOOQ – Project Veľká Hradná II. / INSTITUTEAOOQ Projekt Veľká Hradná II., 2000-10
Felt-tip pen, print, pen, white paint, paper
30, 6 × 46 cm
Courtesy The Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava

DUMPLINGS – SLOVAKIAQWOODENVILLAGEAQ/5.D.NIRVANAOOQ/ HALUŠKY – SLOVAKIAQDREVENA DEDINAQ/5.D. NIRVANAOOQ, 2000-10
Xerocopy, print, pen, mixed media, felt-tip pen, white paint, paper
30,6 × 46 cm
Courtesy The Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava

SP Record / SP gramoplatňa KOZMOS9 – 1; FUTÚRCOSMOS FUTÚR; ATOMREÁL; COSMOSCOSMOS ESPACE UNIVERSE, 1970 – 71
4 vinyl records

From the cycle Sketches from Snežienková / Z cyklu Skice zo Snežienkovej, ca. 2005
Photo on colored paper, montage, felt-tip pen, whitening liquid, perforation
26,8 × 21,7 cm

From the cycle Sketches from Snežienková / Z cyklu Skice zo Snežienkovej, ca. 2005
Photo on colored paper, montage, felt-tip pen, whitening liquid, perforation
26,8 × 20,6 cm

From the cycle Sketches from Snežienková / Z cyklu Skice zo Snežienkovej, ca. 2005
Photo on colored paper, montage, felt-tip pen, whitening liquid, perforation
27,8 × 17,8 cm

From the cycle Sketches from Snežienková / Z cyklu Skice zo Snežienkovej, ca. 2005
Photo on colored paper, montage, felt-tip pen, whitening liquid, perforation
29,5 × 14 cm

From the cycle Sketches from Snežienková / Z cyklu Skice zo Snežienkovej, ca. 2005
Photo on colored paper, montage, felt-tip pen, whitening liquid, perforation
27 × 20,5 cm

From the cycle Sketches from Snežienková/​ZcykluSkicezoSnežienkovej, ca.2005
Photo on colored paper, montage, felt-tip pen, whitening liquid, perforation
30 × 23 cm

Filko on the Susumu Shingu Poster / Filko na plagáte Susumu Shingu, 1970/​ca. 2000
Watercolor, print, pencil, pen, paper
36,5 × 51,3 cm

Filko on the Poster from Osaka / Filko na plagáte z Osaky, 1970/​ca. 2000
Watercolor, print, pencil, pen, paper
103 × 68 cm

From the series Clones / Zo série Klony, ca. 2000
Felt-tip pen, whitening liquid, adhesive tape, paper
42 × 60 cm

All works if not otherwise stated Courtesy Linea Collection, Bratislava; Layr, Vienna