McLaren F1 car inspires Václav Kočí’s pop-up intervention at Artium

"Strength to Strength", the first exhibition in Artium's 2025 Line of Innovation curatorial series, presents a visual dialogue between the Brno-based conceptual painter Václav Kočí and a McLaren F1 showcar. This artistic intervention is another example of collaboration between artists and the innovative design and engineering of the automotive industry.

Exhibition dates: 28 March – 21 April 2025

Curator: Linda K. Sedláková

Artium by KKCG is a space where art meets people in many forms. This time, visitors are invited to witness a visual dialogue between a pinnacle of automotive design — the McLaren F1 showcar — and a powerful site-specific installation by Václav Kočí. His artistic vision responds to the cars signature colour palette of black and orange. The installation’s energy, motion, and strength inspired its leitmotif: “Strength to Strength.”

Luxury cars and art have long shared a natural connection. In the past, iconic artists such as Alexander Calder, Roy Lichtenstein, and David Hockney have used car bodies as unconventional canvases. These collaborations opened up new media for artistic exploration while celebrating innovation in design and engineering. “Václav Kočí’s site-specific installation at Artium enhances the strength and dynamism of this automotive masterpiece and confirms that F1 is no longer just a motorsport — it has evolved into a lifestyle that touches art, design, and pop culture,” says curator Linda K. Sedláková.

The installation will be accompanied by three smaller layered formats. Visitors will be able to view a full-scale model of the McLaren F1 race showcar at Artium thanks to the official partnership between international lottery group Allwyn and the McLaren team. Allwyn is the parent company of Sazka.

About the Artist Václav Kočí (b. 1981) is a Brno-based conceptual painter and founder of the Open Studios project, who opens artists’ studios in Brno and Ostrava to the public and promotes professional networking among curators, artists, and gallery owners. He studied painting at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Brno University of Technology (FaVU VUT), where he received his PhD in 2010. His dissertation was focused on Art in Public Space, a topic he continues to explore in his teaching at the university’s Faculty of Civil Engineering.

Artium by KKCG: Where Art Meets People

Artium by KKCG is a non-traditional, freely accessible art space that bridges different worlds, opens new horizons, and creates unforgettable encounters between often disconnected cultural realms. In collaboration with leading curators, Artium presents a cross-genre arts programme based on four pillars: visual arts, music, performance, and education.

In 2025, Artium’s curatorial theme focuses on innovation — how it shapes the way art is created, experienced, and how it can inspire us. Innovation gives artists new freedoms of expression and new ways to connect with audiences. This year’s programme offers visitors advanced forms of creativity and deeper artistic engagement.