Zita Elznic

* 1992, Prague
email: [email protected]

Internships

• 2019 Faculty of Fine Arts, Brno University of Technology, Studio of Visiting Professor – Przemysław Kwiek
• 2018 DAMU, Department of Alternative and Puppet Theatre, Scenography

Education

• 2015–2020 Faculty of Fine Arts, Brno University of Technology, Studio of Painting 2 – Luděk Rathouský

Do You Know What a Fish Does When It Runs Up a Hill?

The thesis titled “Do You Know What a Fish Does When It Runs Up a Hill?” touches on the topic of industrial fishing. The installation consists of two parts. The first part is an oval object, on which mechanical fishes are attached, creating a moving school of fish. Using motors, they interact with each other and the viewer, accompanied by a song. The second part includes three separate mechanical fishes that create a direct dialogue with the viewer. The entire installation is set up in a white cube to highlight the installation as much as possible. The entire work gives the viewer the impression that the fish are alive, and through the human voice, it gets closer to the viewer. The title “Do You Know What a Fish Does When It Runs Up a Hill?” comes from a children’s joke. This sentence is characteristic of the topic in that it is all nonsense. Fish do not run, they do not move on land, and they do not talk. The attempt of this joke to humanize the fish quickly comes to an end when you learn the answer. The mere smacking indicates how foreign this different world is.