recessed.speaks 001: an interview with Hynek Martinec
Launching our new podcast platform, recessed.speaks, we
bring you an interview with Czech British figurative artist Hynek Martinec on
the occasion of a double-header of exhibitions in London. recessed.speaks will
bring you interviews from leading figures from the arts & architectures, sitting
alongside our online platform & relaunched newsletter. Please save the
podcast wherever you listen to receive each episode as it comes out & share
widely to help support independent arts journalism.
RECESSED.SPEAKS 001: HYNEK recessed.speaks 001: Hynek Martinec
Over the four years recessed.space has been running, you have been able to read interviews with leading artists and architects, including Norman Foster, Ai Wei Wei, Cristina Iglesias, Anish Kapoor, Alvaro Barrington, and many, many more. Now, you will be able to hear them as well as read them with our new podcast series, recessed.speaks.
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other RSS-enabled platforms, we plan to bring you a curated selection of interviews with practitioners from across the arts and architectures. Our first edition is a live-recorded interview between the Editor of recessed.space, Will Jennings, and artist Hynek Martinec. Please save recessed.speaks to your podcast platform of choice and share to friends you think may enjoy so we can grow.
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fig.i
Held on 05 September at Hypha Studios South Bank, the main site of arts charity Hypha Studios, the conversation coincided with the creation of a new site-specific mural by the artist. The main act of APPLECORE Part I is Cybercore, a 17-metre-long charcoal and chalk drawing made directly onto the walls of the gallery’s Project Space, a process that took Martinec eight full days to complete.
The conversation starts, however, with Martinec’s childhood in Czechia and his introduction to the arts. Passing through a range of the artist’s experiences and projects, a recent and important painting of the death mask of Jan Palach, a Czech university student who in 1969 self-immolated in protest against Soviet rule. Martinec’s work was installed at the Jan Palach Memorial in August, ahead of his APPLECORE exhibitions.
Martinec’s work is deeply informed by art history and works of the Old Masters, wielding an incredible detail to his craft. However, the techniques and references of great artists are here employed to more contemporary twist, with a range of interests to the artists, from digitalisation and technology in society to the role of images and perception.
figs.ii,iii
APPLECORE Part I is currently on at Hypha Studios South Bank by appointment, and will conclude with a finnisage performance by the artist which will see the entire work destroyed (Thursday 01 October, free, RSVP HERE).
It will be followed immediately by APPLECORE Part II at Varvara Roza Galleries in St. James’s, London, 30 September to 20 October. This exhibition, coinciding with Frieze Week, is a more conventional hang of Martinec’s figurative artworks. Both projects are curated by Ben Tuffnell.
figs.iv-vi
Upcoming editions of recessed.speaks include interviews with American artist Asad Raza and the team behind non-profit Antwerp-based arts space Tick Tack. With exciting plans for the future, please do add recessed.speaks to your podcast platform of choice and share widely to help us launch successfully and reach as many ears as possible.
Hynek Martinec is a London-based Czech British painter
celebrated for works that combine classical painting techniques with
contemporary philosophical enquiry, exploring themes including temporality,
authenticity and perception.
Martinec studied Classical Painting Techniques with the
revered Czech artist Zdeněk Beran at the Academy of Fine Arts, Prague, and
moved to London in 2007 after winning the prestigious BP Young Artist Award.
His work has been presented in numerous solo and group
exhibitions internationally, including selections for the BP Portrait Award
(2007, 2009, 2013) and the John Moores Painting Prize (2014). His work is held
in major collections including the British Museum, London; National Gallery
Prague; Zabludowicz Collection, London; Sammlung FIEDE, Aschaffenburg; Standard
Chartered Bank, London; WCIT Collection, London; Asante Art Collection, Basel;
Pro Arte Collection, Prague; Robert Runtak Collection, Olomouc; and Omer Koc
Collection, Istanbul.
www.hynekmartinec.com
Varvara Roza Galleries is founded and led by Varvara Roza,
an independent art advisor, curator and agent committed to artists whose
purpose, authenticity and passion are redefining the landscape of contemporary
art. The gallery’s mission is to platform artists whose work elevates
collective consciousness and reflects the transformative power of creativity.
Varvara specialises in promoting contemporary art by
established and emerging international artists, with a focus on exceptional
talent across multiple disciplines. She regularly works with leading museums,
collectors and institutions on strategic acquisitions, and with over ten years’
experience in the contemporary art market is trusted by auction houses,
galleries and collectors for her discretion, transparency and integrity.
www.varvararozagalleries.com
Hypha Studios is a registered charity that matches creatives
with vacant property to provide free exhibition and studio space across the UK,
bringing culture to high streets. In less than five years, it has grown to
become one of the UK’s most important charities supporting the cultural
ecosystem. To date over 3,000 artists have received free exhibition or studio
space, with over 50,000 members of the public attending events. In London,
Hypha operates several gallery and studio spaces, including Hypha Studios South
Bank, a complex of five exhibition spaces and free studios for 17 artists, all
awarded through open calls. Hypha Curates is the charity's innovative sales
platform for emerging artists to directly find new buyers – artists receiving
70% of the value with 30% directly supporting the charitable work of Hypha
Studios.
www.hyphastudios.com
Varvara specialises in promoting contemporary art by established and emerging international artists, with a focus on exceptional talent across multiple disciplines. She regularly works with leading museums, collectors and institutions on strategic acquisitions, and with over ten years’ experience in the contemporary art market is trusted by auction houses, galleries and collectors for her discretion, transparency and integrity.
www.varvararozagalleries.com
Hypha Studios is a registered charity that matches creatives
with vacant property to provide free exhibition and studio space across the UK,
bringing culture to high streets. In less than five years, it has grown to
become one of the UK’s most important charities supporting the cultural
ecosystem. To date over 3,000 artists have received free exhibition or studio
space, with over 50,000 members of the public attending events. In London,
Hypha operates several gallery and studio spaces, including Hypha Studios South
Bank, a complex of five exhibition spaces and free studios for 17 artists, all
awarded through open calls. Hypha Curates is the charity's innovative sales
platform for emerging artists to directly find new buyers – artists receiving
70% of the value with 30% directly supporting the charitable work of Hypha
Studios.
www.hyphastudios.com
visit
APPLECORE Part I is viewable by appointment at Hypha
Studios South Bank until 01 October. Contact Varvara Roza Galleries for further
information. hyphastudios.com/hynek-martinec
APPLECORE Part II is at Varvara Roza Galleries, St. James’s,
30 September to 20 October. Details available at: www.varvararozagalleries.com/exhibitions/12-hynek-martinec-applecore/overview
images
figs.i,ii Cybercore (2026), charcoal and chalk on wall, by Hynek Martinec at Hypha Studios South Bank. Photo
© & courtesy Varvara Roza Galleries & the artist.
fig.iii Portrait of the artist Hynek Martinec at Hypha Studios South Bank. Photograph © Paul Neiman, courtesy Varvara Roza Galleries.
fig.iv Digitapple (2026), oil on canvas, by Hynek Martinec.
Photo © & courtesy Varvara Roza Galleries & the artist.
fig.v Portrait of the artist Hynek Martinec.
Photo© & courtesy Varvara Roza Galleries & the artist.
fig.vi HM Jan Palach, 1969 (2021), oil on canvas, by Hynek Martinec.
Photo© & courtesy Varvara Roza Galleries & the artist.
publication date
24 September 2026
tags
Czechia, Hypha Studios, Will Jennings, Hynek Martinec, Mural, Jan Palach, podcast, recessed.speaks, Ben Tufnell, Varvara Roza Galleries
APPLECORE Part II is at Varvara Roza Galleries, St. James’s, 30 September to 20 October. Details available at: www.varvararozagalleries.com/exhibitions/12-hynek-martinec-applecore/overview
