"They may rest from their labor; for their deeds follow them!"
Solo Exhibition; 2024
Q Gallery, Copenhagen
Curated by Nikol Czuczorova
Exhibition embarks on a poetic journey through the void left by the closure of the Nováky Coil Power Plant. Kiripolsky explores themes of identity, heritage, and the socio-political changes tied to the coal industry of his hometown. Through video works, sculptures, and installations, the exhibition reflects on the dignity of labor, resilience, and the transition toward a sustainable future. It highlights themes of loss and renewal and broader narratives of transformation in a post-industrial era. Ultimately, it serves as a tribute to the workers whose efforts powered homes for over 70 years.
Left to Rust (2024, 4 min, 2160p)
In Left to Rust, Kiripolský engages in a meditative act of welding 5 kilograms of metal swarf—waste material sourced directly from the Nováky Coal Power Plant. This process, captured on video, serves as both a literal and symbolic gesture, reflecting the continuous maintenance practices once vital to the plant’s operation. The accompanying voiceover delves into the operational routines that sustained the facility, now rendered obsolete.
The work echoes themes explored in Jiří Skála’s One Family of Objects, where the relationship between laborers and their machines is examined amidst industrial decline.
Work Chronicles (2022, Polaroid Type 100)
Documentation of the everyday essentials required for accessing the power plant during the author’s part-time work, which includes an access card and specific attire.
Lamp T (2024, aluminum, sand, woven polypropylene)
Continuing the author’s speculative design practice, the lamps are designed to be constructed and welded with minimal labor while maintaining functional use.
Ashes to Ashes (2024, 8 min, 2160p)
Set against the backdrop of the 1965 ash pond disaster at the Nováky Coal Power Plant, Ashes to Ashes traces the ecological and industrial aftermath of an event that reshaped the surrounding landscape. The video brings together found YouTube footage of workers transporting dried ash with a 3D rendering of the site’s current condition—now a hollowed-out basin, emptied of water and life. Moving between past and present, the work reflects on the long shadow of extractive infrastructure and the fragile systems built around it.
Seat (2024, PU foam, Latex)
Mirroring the continued stacking of material at the ashpond.
Power plant profile (2024, 1500 x 2600mm, digital print)
Infrastructure of the Elektrarne Novaky, Coal Power Plant, Slovakia
