Július Koller
U.F.O.-naut J.K.

The Slovak artist Július Koller (1939–2007) is regarded as one of the key figures of the Eastern European avant-garde since the 1960s and remains an important point of reference for subsequent generations of artists.

Koller did not see art as the production of objects but as a form of cultural action that engages with everyday reality and social responsibility. During a period of political and cultural repression in then-Communist Czechoslovakia, he developed simple yet highly symbolic gestures and actions—his so-called “Antihappenings”—as alternative forms of communication beyond institutional and ideological constraints. Through concepts such as “Universal-Cultural Futurological Operations” (U.F.O.) and “Cosmohumanism,” he articulated a worldview that positions humanity not at the center, but as part of a larger cosmic whole—always in close relation to social reality.

At its Study Center, the Generali Foundation presents a focused selection from its collection dedicated to the “U.F.O.-naut” Július Koller. At the core is his nearly lifelong portrait series U.F.O.-naut J.K., for which Koller conceived an annual symbolic self-portrait over a span of more than 35 years beginning in 1970. Initiated shortly after the suppression of the Prague Spring, the series extends through the political changes of 1989 into the 2000s, reflecting both personal and societal transformations of its time.

Another key body of work explores sports and games as metaphors for dialogue and democratic communication. A passionate athlete, Koller viewed play as a cultural situation in which principles such as fairness, exchange, and movement become tangible.

The exhibition is complemented by a selection of Text Cards, created continuously since 1965, which accompanied Koller’s artistic thinking and practice like an evolving archive. In these works, language, concept, and everyday experience merge into concise reflections on art and society. Through international mail-art networks between East and West, Koller maintained active artistic communication throughout the 1970s, which enabled his presence in the international art scene despite political restrictions.

Koller’s idea of an art inseparable from life, his subtle humor, and his clear ethical stance continue to shape his enduring relevance today.

Július Koller was born in 1939 in Piešťany and lived in Bratislava until his death in 2007.