In the photographs of Miloš Nejezchleb (1978) nothing moves, everything is still and statuesque. The Czech photographer, winner of numerous awards including Fine art Photographer of the year 2021, has a conceptual and narrative photographic approach. The protagonists are often groups of people, portrayed as mannequins and all in the same rigid pose, as if they were part of a synchronized choreography. In most cases, faces are not visible, depriving the subjects of a personality and specific characteristics. This choice turns the bodies into mere matter, with the sole function of communicating through the poses Miloš decides to make them assume. In fact, Miloš Nejezchleb takes several shots of the same subjects, making them change positions and thus creating a serial narrative. Through the photographs, Miloš addresses current social issues and tells personal and emotional stories. One example is the series Stronger in which Miloš shows the rebirth of the protagonist following a moment of intense pain: the two versions of the same person are portrayed in the act of looking into each other’s eyes, discovering and remembering each other.

While the static nature of the shots feels aseptic, it also accentuates the drama of the silence and places the viewer in a precise moment suspended in time. The bright colors balance the eerie feeling, giving the works a pop appearance. Aesthetics and harmony are researched almost maniacally by Miloš, who takes care of every detail himself: from set design to styling, from choice of locations to post production.

Miloš Nejezchleb was recently a guest artist in the group exhibition ImageNation in New York, March 10-12, 2023, curated by Martin Vegas.