PRESS RELEASE

 

Memoirs of a Pyromaniac:

 

Jaroslav Valečka to Presents Paintings Full of Fire, Fateful Coincidences, and Dark Humor

Prague, September 1, 2026—An explosion hidden in logs, ball lightning, or a gas pipeline severed by a Soviet excavator operator. In October 2026, painter Jaroslav Valečka will present the exhibition *Memoirs of a Pyromaniac* at the New Town Hall in Prague. This new collection of paintings intertwines true stories, rural daily life, the destructive power of fire, and a unique conception of justice that sometimes comes as an unexpected blow from above.

 

The exhibition’s title is based on a story an elderly man told the artist. His neighbor had been systematically stealing his firewood and burning it. When several cubic meters of wood had disappeared over time, the man drilled holes in some of the logs, hid old cartridges inside them, and returned them to the pile. The neighbor’s chimney couldn’t withstand the ensuing explosion. As he laconically concludes the story: “They say the explosion was spectacular.”

 

It is precisely this blend of the mundane, human transgression, revenge, and a grotesque outcome that became one of the starting points for the exhibition. In it, Valečka will primarily present paintings from the last two years, in which he works with “fiery tales”—memories, local stories, and events that, through gradual retelling, transform into almost modern-day legends.

Alongside the story of the arsonist, the paintings feature, for example, ball lightning or a gas explosion that allegedly occurred after a Soviet excavator operator severed a gas pipeline. A seemingly banal situation transforms in a single moment into a catastrophe, a wondrous miracle, or a dark farce.

 

“I’m fascinated when a painting depicts a kind of moralistic punishment from above for reprehensible behavior—while at the same time, everything takes place against a backdrop of ordinary village banality and dark humor,” says Jaroslav Valečka, explaining the exhibition’s central theme.

Fire in his paintings is not merely a destructive force. It becomes a symbol of punishment, purification, chance, and a power that disrupts the apparent calm and reveals human characters. The tragic meets the comic, reality meets legend, and personal memory meets collective memory.

The exhibition *Memories of a Pyromaniac* offers a visual chronicle of events that may have actually happened—or perhaps time and the human imagination have made them even more compelling. It is precisely on the border between reality, memory, and narrative that Jaroslav Valečka’s unique world takes shape.

 

MEMOIRS OF A PYROMANIAC

Artist: Jaroslav Valečka
Venue: Gallery in the Tower, New Town Hall, Prague
Exhibition Dates: October 7–25, 2026
Opening Reception: October 7, 2026, at 6:00 p.m.
Curator: Renata Mužíková

Accompanying program: guided tours on October 13 and October 22, both at 5:00 p.m.

More information: press release, press-quality photos available for download at www.valecka.eu/tisk