An internal world of each of us is constantly flowing between another two symbolic areas – private and public. We call the first one a family. Whatever that means, it is in its principle based on trust. The second, public area, is everything else and, for a common survival, we make hundreds of rules there – rules not always related to the true word. If a family is full of innocent lies, it becomes a social institution of individuals estranged from each other though. Communication becomes a manipulative game, disguise becomes a habit. As children, we grow up in this micro-space and, not even realizing it, we suddenly lie to our class master, doctor, ticket inspector, boss, friends.
Through the Family Portrait exhibition, David Bartoš is arguing over what a lie may mean and where is its importance limit. Using the example of one family, he examines the consequences of everyday decisions based on an intentional or unintentional truth denial. David follows the “what if” – the thing we do not usually admit in regard to our self-preservation – and he implements fates of individual family members into a story composed of several parallel universes.

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