Epos 257

Bio

Epos 257 (*1982) is a graduate of the Academy of Arts, Architecture, and Design in Prague (2008–2016, Studio of Intermedia Confrontation, prof. Jiří David) and a former member of the artistic activist group Ztohoven, Czech visual artist Epos 257 works with the urban environment and the iconography and iconology of the city. He is currently a doctorali candidate at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague (intermedia, profs. Dušan Zahoranský and Pavla Sceranková). His interventions often touch on sensitive social issues and his work has repeatedly explored the question of public space. His true identity remains anonymous. He began as a graffiti writer, creating his first tags at age thirteen. The number in his pseudonym is a reference to these beginnings: For a long time, 257 was the number of the legal section covering property damage – a part of the legal code he frequently came into contact with. Certain graffiti principles are still present in his work, in particular the invasive character of his art, his insider view of the urban landscape, and his conscious existence on or beyond the limits of the law. The artistic activities of Epos 257 are characterized by an exploration of public space, in particular the way in which it is used and the constantly changing boundaries of what is and is not public. Especially in his more recent work, the wild and elemental nature of the street scene is frequently mixed with the complexity and profundity of a critically thinking artist. Epos 257 also repeatedly confronts art in the public space with its institutional interpretation. In 2018, Trafo Gallery published the book Roots, Branches, Offshoots, which took first place in the “Books on Fine Art” category of the 2018 Most Beautiful Book competition.