Halbvoll/Halbleer

You walk into the exhibition and see a narrow wooden plinth with a bronze-framed glass showcase. Immediately you know: beware, this is art! It is a little irritating to note that inside the showcase, it is just an everyday object that is being presented here in the museum. A simple glass of water disappoints our expectations that we will see a valuable object inside a familiar display cabinet. This drinking glass contains a clear neutral liquid. Is it half-full? Or half-empty? Frantisek Lesak leaves that open by entitling this 1975 work “HALF-FULL/ HALF-EMPTY.” Both seem to be possible and both are quite within the range of our observations. This is a question of perspective, and a further detail of the work also centers on the question of perspective. Two small brass plates are fixed onto the display cabinet frame. The title of the work is engraved on one side, and on the other the name of the artist and the year. It does not matter which side you stand on—you will never see both pieces of information at one time. So what is being exhibited here? One inscription links the glass of water with the name of the artist. Is the glass a symbol and representative of the artist himself? The other side does not ask anything, but states what we ourselves can see when we look at the glass inside the cabinet: “HALF-FULL/ HALF-EMPTY.” This only seemingly neutral object becomes a part of Lesak’s game with identity and alternatives. Dialogue with Lesak’s work of art is motivated by your own subjective perception and your unavoidable own interpretation of what you are being offered to interpret here. So, how are you going to decide? Half-full or half-empty?