SAD PLEASURES
OĽGA BLEYOVÁ
PRESS RELEASE
Dreams have the power to shape our vision of the future, yet they remain fragile. The exhibition reflects on the journey from an idealized view of life to its unpredictable transformation. “Sad Pleasures,” Oľga Bleyová’s second artistic presentation at FOG Gallery, is introduced alongside the preview screening of a new documentary of the same name. The film by director Lukáš Vízner, produced in partnership with the gallery, offers a deep dive into the legacy of a pioneer of 20th-century Slovak photography.
Oľga Bleyová (1930–2019) is best known for her high-contrast, sculptural treatment of form and her drive for technological innovation. She approached photography as a means of layering visual elements, often subconsciously leaving behind personal traces. At the core of the current exhibition is a series of photographs (1970) created for the poetry collection “Poems on a Dream and Sad Pleasures”. These images capture fleeting moments in which the tangible world merges with imagination, reverie, and longing. The recurring portrayal of the artist as a young bride in a wedding dress featured in the installation of cushions enhances the dreamlike atmosphere of the display.
As we move through the space, we observe the sense of anticipation reaching a turning point–the altar of the three Madonnas, where expectations are confronted with lived experiences. On the left is a graphic Madonna by Pavol Bley, on the right, a photograph by Oľga Bleyová. These side panels engage in a balanced visual dialogue, recalling the structure of a religious triptych. Positioned in the middle is a photograph from the early 1970s by Oľga Bleyová, documenting a shattered cast of the Madonna sculpture by Master Pavol of Levoča. This central image is where the harmony is disrupted, depicting the fractured relationship, bearing traces of domestic violence. The altar-like tableau, witnessing both the beginning and the end of marriage, is more than a convergence of artistic visions; it reveals the emotional cracks and ongoing tensions within the couple’s personal and creative bond.
“Sad Pleasures” does not merely observe the transition from idealism to disillusionment – it enacts it. Through the interplay of fine art and documentary photography, along with installation fragments, the exhibition’s symbolic contrasts explore the fragile boundary between dreams and reality, as well as between expectations and disappointment. The idea of the concept unfolds as a reflection on the artist’s life, shaped by private histories, with threads of intimate narratives woven into her artworks.
