ZONE1-Vienna Contemporary Preview: Artist Evy Jokhova curated by Bruno Mokross
Together with Gallery 3+1 Arte Contemporânea Lisbon, Portugal, Evy Jokhova will present her work at this year's Vienna Contemporary Art Fair 2024, in ZONE1, curated by Bruno Mokross.
At Munchies Art Club Magazine, we’re always on the lookout for artists whose work does more than decorate walls—it challenges minds.
This year, as part of our coverage of the Vienna Contemporary art fair 2024, we’ve chosen to dive deeper into the work of Evy Jokhova.
Evy Jokhova -> Studio Views | Photos by Austėja Ščiavinskaitė
Evy Jokhova -> Studio Views | Photos by Austėja Ščiavinskaitė
Selected by curator Bruno Mokross for his special presentation in ZONE1, Jokhova is one of three artists we believe are pushing boundaries in ways that demands attention.
Jokhova’s work stands out for its depth, thoughtfulness, and relentless questioning of the world around us.
Her multidisciplinary approach spans architecture, anthropology, and philosophy, blending these fields into a practice that’s rich, layered, and deeply rooted in the complexity of human experience.
Her art is not just about aesthetics; it’s about asking questions, digging into how we live, think, and remember.
Born in Switzerland, Jokhova’s life has taken her across the globe—from Soviet Russia to Austria, Estonia, the UK, Azerbaijan, and Portugal.
Evy Jokhova: (left) "Green Sun", 2022 -> Cotton, linen, synthetic velvet, steel, natural dye, cotton , embroidery thread, stoneware and porcelain glaze | 342 x 150 x 9 cm | Photo: Bruno Lopes | Image courtesy of the artist and 3+1 Arte Contemporânea Lisbon,Porgual + Evy Jokhova (right) “Alessandro”, 2020 -> Stoneware clay and fabric, 42 x 15.5 x 27 cm | Photos: Bruno Lopes | Image courtesy of the artist and 3+1 Arte Contemporânea Lisbon, Portugal
These diverse experiences aren’t merely a backdrop; they are the raw material for her work. Her art reflects the shifts and transitions she’s witnessed, exploring how social and political environments shape behavior and memory.
This multicultural perspective is both an element of her identity and a lens through which she interrogates the world.
One of the most compelling aspects of Jokhova’s work is how it acts as a dynamic dialogue across time, space, and disciplines.
She is deeply interested in relationships—how architecture shapes social behavior, how landscapes hold memories, and how the stories we tell ourselves shape our understanding of truth.
Her work invites us to question these narratives, to look closer at the spaces between what’s seen and what’s understood.
A recurring theme in Jokhova’s work is the tension between the perceived and the imagined. We often think our understanding of the world is grounded in reality, but Jokhova challenges this certainty.
Evy Jokhova: Installation View at Latvian National Museum entitled " On Photographic Beings" | Photos by Ansis Starks
She reminds us that much of what we take as fact is actually a construct—a blend of perception, memory, and cultural narrative.
Her art is a call to question these constructs and to explore the gaps between reality and perception.
Rituals, both personal and collective, are another key theme in Jokhova’s work. In her project The Shape of Ritual, she transcribes buildings into music, then into dance, creating a cycle of transformation that connects architecture, sound, and the body.
This project isn’t just about exploring new forms of expression; it’s about recognizing how our environments shape us and how we, in turn, shape them.
It’s a meditation on the fluidity of these relationships and on the potential for creating new rituals that better reflect our contemporary reality.
Her project I Dance for You, My Edifice further explores our relationship with stone—one of humanity’s oldest and most enduring materials.
Evy Jokhova: (left) "Tapadinhas" | Stoneware clay, porcelain and ceramic glaze, dry plants, steel, volcanic gravel | 312 x 250 x 250cm -> (right) “Packman’s journey to spiritual enlightenment” by Evy Jokhova: Cotton, steel, natural dye, cotton embroidery thread, stoneware and porcelain glaze | 165 x 180 x 22 cm | Photo: Bruno Lopes | Image courtesy of the artist and 3+1 Arte Contemporânea Lisbon, Portugal
Stone is both a literal and metaphorical foundation, a ‘historical constant’ that carries the weight of ancient mythology and contemporary significance.
Through site-specific installations combining sound, images, and performances, Jokhova creates spaces where the old and the new meet, where past and present coalesce into something that speaks to our current obsessions with materiality and synthesis.
In one of her recent projects, Three Colours: Green, Jokhova immersed herself in the life of the Shipibo-Konibo indigenous community in the Amazon.
Evy Jokhova "Three Colors /Green" 3+1 Arte Contemporânea Lisbon Exhibition View | Photo: Bruno Lopes | Image courtesy of the artist and 3+1 Arte Contemporânea Lisbon, Portugal
This experience wasn’t just an artistic residency; it was an exploration of a different way of life, where everyday activities are seen as rituals that connect all elements of existence in a relationship of interdependence.
Through this project, Jokhova invites us to reconsider our relationship with nature, not as something to be dominated or exploited, but as a rich, complex system that we are a part of.
What ties all these projects together is Jokhova’s deep interest in the ways we construct meaning—whether through architecture, language, or ritual.
She is not just an artist; she is a thinker, constantly probing the boundaries of her disciplines and seeking ways to connect and transcend them.
Her work is a philosophical reflection on the nature of reality, the stories we tell ourselves, and how we relate to the world around us.
Three Colours/Shadow | Municipal Gallery of Almanda Exhibition View | Artist Evy Jokhova | Photo by Antonio Jorge Silva
Jokhova’s exhibitions are as varied as her practice. Her work has been shown in a range of contexts, each one adding new layers of meaning.
In Lisbon, her Three Colours series was exhibited at 3+1 Arte Contemporânea, where she explored different facets of the natural world through colour.
At the Kumu Art Museum in Tallinn, she participated in Art in the Age of the Anthropocene, a project that examined Estonian art history and contemporary art through the lens of ecological change.
Evy Jokhova: Art in the Age of the Anthropocene | Kumu Art Museum | Photos: Joosep Kivimäe
These exhibitions are not just showcases; they are integral parts of her process—spaces where her ideas can be tested, challenged, and expanded.
Evy Jokhova’s work is a reminder that art is about more than creating objects; it’s about creating connections.
It’s about exploring relationships—between people, places, and ideas—and finding new ways to understand and engage with the world.
Evy Jokhova on Instagram
Her practice is a call to think deeply, to look beyond the surface, and to question the narratives that shape our understanding of reality.
More about Evy Jokhova on Instagram or through her website.
Evy Jokhova official Website
What is 3+1 Arte Contemporânea Gallery
3+1 Arte Contemporânea is a contemporary art gallery in Lisbon, Portugal, established in February 2007.
Located at Largo Hintze Ribeiro, 2, 1250-122 Lisbon, it focuses on promoting both emerging and established Portuguese and international artists.
The gallery has gained a reputation for introducing lesser-known international artists to the Portuguese public and supporting national talents.
3+1 Arte Contemporânea Gallery on Instagram
As a key player in Lisbon's contemporary art scene, it contributes significantly to the promotion and exposure of diverse artistic expressions.
What is Zone1-Vienna Contemporary?
ZONE1 is a prominent section of the viennacontemporary art fair, focusing on emerging talents connected to Austria.
For 2024, it will be curated by Bruno Mokross and feature ten solo exhibitions of artists who live or have lived in Vienna, represented by both local and international galleries.
ZONE1 - Vienna Contemporary 2024
The curator will explore the appeal of Vienna to international artists and the impact of the city's living conditions on their work.
Dominique Catherina Foertig
Curator Bruno Mokross - Vienna Contemporary 2024 and ZONE1
ZONE1, established in 2015, showcases artists under 40, enhancing their careers by providing international exposure.
The 2024 event will take place from September 12-15 at Messe Wien, Vienna.
Munchies Art Club is thrilled to give you a sneak peek into our latest article series featuring 3 must-watch artists and their galleries at ZONE1 Vienna Contemporary 2024, curated by the talented Bruno Mokross.
Dominique Catherina Foertig
ZONE1 - Minda Andrén - Vienna Contemporary 2024
Dominique Catherina Foertig
ZONE1 - Artist R. Sebastian Schachinger - Vienna Contemporary 2024
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