David Černý

Born in Prague in 1967 to a family of artists, Černý studied at the Academy of Applied Arts in Prague between 1988 and 1996. In 1990, he received the Special Prize in the Biennale of Kortrijk, Belgium. One year later, he began his residential scholarship in Boswil after receiving a grant from the Swiss Government. In 1994, he moved to New York as an artist in residence at the PS1 gallery. Two years later, he completed the Whitney Independent Study Program. In 1996, he won another grant, this time from the Pollack-Krasner Foundation in the United States, and in 2000, he received the Jindřich Chalupecký Award for being the country’s most promising visual artist under the age of 35. In 2001, he founded Meetfactory, a non-profit international center for contemporary art. Most recently, in 2017, he started Black n’ Arch, an architectural studio known for its innovative approaches to architecture and design. Besides his artwork, David Černý is also active in the fields of theatre and cinema, music, design, and architecture. He is a passionate diver, driver and, since passing his ATPL exam in 2014, also a pilot not only of planes but also helicopters and gliders. He lives in Prague and is a proud father of his daughter, Elektra.