Picture of artwork
I Fight Like a Girl 
Picture of artwork
Women Have Balls! 
Picture of artwork
I’m Not a Racist, But… 
Picture of artwork
If Someone Throws Stones at You,
Throw Him a Kebab!
Picture of artwork
My Uterus, My Biggest Problem
Picture of artwork
We Have What We Wanted?
Picture of artwork
Slowly But Tiso
Picture of artwork
Don’t Shame My Impulses
Picture of artwork
Don’t Disturb My Rainbows
Picture of artwork
It Is My Own Fault

The activist art group of radical embroidery called Kundy Crew, consisting of, as they describe themselves, four angry girls, was created in 2010 as an originally informal political activist project without a clear creative program. They have transformed into visual artists only after being invited to several national and international exhibitions which has institutionalised their work. They are better defined by the values and goals they share than by their dedicated artistic efforts. They have transformed their views into embroidered messages to society. One of the key elements is the social aspect of their embroidery that promotes collective (group) authorship rather than personal (individual) one. Their collective efforts are even emphasised by arranging workshops which try “…to promote the technique of cross-stitching as something that is truly out of place in the capitalist society – a slow, several-hour-long process of dedicated concentration, meditativeness and reflexion (always in a subversive political tone).”1 Kundy Crew use the traditional cross-stitching, a symbol of Slovak folk art, to draw attention to pressing social and political issues. They bring the isolated female work to the public space and make it accessible to everyone: “Most of our embroideries are based on female experiences, frustration and anger brought on us in this patriarchal society, but we also draw inspiration from first-hand experiences of women in our surroundings. The technique we use is also perceived as traditionally “feminine”, which is why it used to be indivisible.”2 Their work could be considered a part of “craftivism”, which is a term derived from the words “craft” and “activism”. The common denomination is that it always contains a traditional craft form (in this case, embroidery) combined with a political or activist message. The artists were inspired by an Australian artist and activist from Melbourne, Rayna Fahey, the founder of The Radical Cross Stitchwebsite, who uses the cross-stitch as a means of social criticism.3 Their embroideries put traditions and folklore into new contexts and assign them new meanings. The visually attractive cross-stitch pattern, whose purpose used to be mostly decorative, is put into contrast with contemporary texts that seem to resemble classic proverbs and sayings at first glance. In their core, they are open, radical and critical commentaries on our society whose purpose is to provoke and disrupt people’s stereotypical way of thinking, turn passivity into activity and ignorance into interest. Their embroidered texts comment on racism, fascism, neo-Nazism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, but they also reflect on ecology, the refugee crisis, minority issues, LGBTI, the queer, feminism, women’s reproductive rights, violence on women. They draw attention to long-lasting gender stereotypes, criticise the church and open other taboo issues. They battle every kind of violence and hatred and engage in the fight for justice, tolerance and solidarity. They draw attention to current social issues using precisely directed and powerful texts: You have only one mother, or perhaps two; Christ was born on Christmas Day to two fathers; Don’t disturb our rainbows; Queer means endless possibilities; Women have balls; I decide for myself; She shouldn’t have provoked; I can only blame myself; Feminism, it is her own fault!; Not every girl is a rebel; Christ was born and he was a Jew; If someone throws stones at you, throw him a kebab!; I’m not a racist, but…; My moms said we don’t vote on human rights; This political marasmus makes me speechless; I’m running out of patience; Culture is not black and white; A virgin shouldn’t show a naked shoulder; We have no use for a fascist; You don’t have power over me anymore, dickhead; It is human nature to do something; No stepping over state symbols using state money; Don’t shame my impulses; Roots are radical; I will satisfy myself, therefore I am; You can still surprise me, you can no longer disappoint me; Good Slovakia!; Don’t worry, it’ll get worse; Hopelessness can be powerful and many others.

Kundy Crew

The activist art group of radical embroidery was created in 2010 as an informal association. They are better defined by the values and goals they share than by their creative program. They communicate them through declarative texts embroidered with the cross-stitch method. Their first presentation was at a group exhibition Unicorn Is More than Nation in Vienna’s Knoll Galerie (2014), while their first solo project She Shouldn’t Have Provoked featured their works installed in the alcoves of a supporting wall near the Vltava river (Artwall Gallery, Prague, 2015). Since then, they have participated at many national and international exhibitions. Today, the group has four members – Iva, Eva, Nina and Gabika.

—Barbora Kurek Geržová

Notes

1 https://secondaryarchive.org/artists/kundy-crew/

2 Ibidem.

3 https://radicalcrossstitch.com/

Bibliography

Kurek Geržová, Barbora: FOLK-LORE, Nitra Gallery, 2021. 

Inventory No.: F 176
Artists: Kundy Crew
Title: I Fight Like a Girl 

Year: 2015 
Technique: cross-stitch
Material: canvas
Dimensions: 20 × 30 cm
Signature: none

Inventory No.: F 177
Artists: Kundy Crew
Title: Women Have Balls! 

Year: 2021 
Technique: cross-stitch
Material: canvas
Dimensions: 25 × 35,5 cm
Signature: front side KUNDY CREW 2021

Inventory No.: F 178
Artists: Kundy Crew
Title: I’m Not a Racist, But… 

Year: 2021 
Technique: cross-stitch
Material: canvas
Dimensions: 18 × 13 cm
Signature: none

Inventory No.: F 179
Artists: Kundy Crew
Title:  If Someone Throws Stones at You, Throw Him a Kebab!

Year: 2015 
Technique: cross-stitch
Material: canvas
Dimensions: 20 × 29,5 cm
Signature: none

Inventory No.: F 180
Artists: Kundy Crew
Title: My Uterus, My Biggest Problem 

Year: 2021
Technique: cross-stitch
Material: canvas
Dimensions: 30 × 21 cm
Signature: none

Inventory No.: F 181
Artists: Kundy Crew
Title: We Have What We Wanted?

Year: 2019 
Technique: cross-stitch
Material: canvas
Dimensions: 38 × 28 cm
Signature: none

Inventory No.: F 182
Artists: Kundy Crew
Title: Slowly But Tiso

Year: 2019 
Technique: cross-stitch
Material: canvas
Dimensions: 34 × 27 cm
Signature: none

Inventory No.: F 183
Artists: Kundy Crew
Title: Don’t Shame My Impulses

Year: 2019 
Technique: cross-stitch
Material: canvas
Dimensions: 17 × 12 cm
Signature: none

Inventory No.: F 184
Artists: Kundy Crew
Title: Don’t Disturb My Rainbows

Year: 2015 
Technique: cross-stitch
Material: canvas
Dimensions: 32 × 30 cm
Signature: rear side: KND CRW 2015

Inventory No.: F 185
Artists: Kundy Crew
Title: It Is My Own Fault

Year: 2017 
Technique: cross-stitch
Material: canvas
Dimensions: 32 × 23 cm
Signature: rear side: KND CRW 2015