Czech (Republic) and Slovak (Republic) 2026

Title: The Silence of the Mole
Commissioner: Michal Novotný, National Gallery Prague
Curator: Peter Sit
Exhibitors: Jakub Jansa, Selmeci Kocka Jusko

The exhibition, titled “The Silence of the Mole”, features artists Jakub Jansa and Selmeci Kocka Jusko, curated by Peter Sit. At the centre of the Pavilion there is Mr. M., an exhausted actor who has portrayed a mole character for decades. Once a symbol of childhood innocence, the character has evolved into a commodity and a mascot of cultural diplomacy. Representing both the Czech and Slovak Republics as a politically neutral figure, the mole embodies a confused identity and nostalgic myth. The project explores the transition of imagination into a public mask and examines the anxiety found in silenced spaces.

The interdisciplinary installation combines film, objects, and architecture to address Czech-Slovak coexistence, collective memory, and ecological fatigue. It engages with the pavilion’s specific modernist architecture, designed by Otakar Novotný and inaugurated in 1926. By drawing on shared cultural references, the work explores how national identities have been staged over time.