Roman Ondak is a contemporary internationally acclaimed conceptual artist from Slovakia. He studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava under Daniel Fischer. During his studies he undertook a number of study stays abroad, for example in Germany or the USA, which shaped his work. Ondak works in the borderlands of performance, ready-made, installation, photography, drawing, painting and video art. His work is characterized by the use of everyday objects and materials whose primary function he seeks to deny and transform by placing them in a gallery setting. In his works he often works with the presence of the viewer and the concept of time.
Roman Ondak is also established internationally, having participated twice in the Venice Biennale, and his works have appeared at the Tate Modern, MomA and the Centre Pompidou.
Roman Ondak, Measuring the Universe, 2007, Museum of Mondern Art, New York
The photograph, which shows the Hlavacek couple and collectors, is accompanied by Red Desert, a 2018 work. Ondak's work was featured in Ormandik's Mur Marekov exhibition in 2019. Here, Ormandik's works from the Save Jesus series were featured. Ondak's work consists of a monochromatic red canvas with a copper wire attached to it, strikingly reminiscent of a fence. Due to its inclusion in the Save Jesus series, Ondak's work can be interpreted in a religious and cultural context, where the red surface can be identified with an apocalyptic landscape - the desert can then be interpreted as a space without divinity, faith and hope. The colour red in Christian iconography carries the meaning of Christ's blood, martyrdom, but also passion and sin. The grid can be compared to a prison bar, that is, to the suffering, sacrifice or imprisonment of spiritual life and Christ himself. Ondak's work, which was created in the context of Ormandik's work, can thus be interpreted as a kind of imprisonment of religious life from contemporary society.
Marek Ormandík, Múr Marekov, Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum, 2019, Save Jesus series in collaboration with Romanek Ondakem
