HIDDEN EXPLORERS EXHIBITION

HIDDEN EXPLORERS, 67 York Street Gallery, London Marylebone, featured in Aesthetica Magazine.

HIDDEN EXPLORERS is a contemporary photographic and print-based installation reflecting on survival, hidden histories, and environmental memory through the legacy of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic expedition 1916.

The exhibition began with the discovery of a photograph hidden behind a curtain in a London flat — Frank Hurley’s image of Mount Frank Houlder on Elephant Island, dedicated in pencil by Shackleton to Frank Houlder, whose support helped rescue the stranded Endurance crew in 1916.

More than a century later, artist Lukas Kroulik followed Shackleton’s route to Elephant Island, revisiting the landscape where survival, sacrifice, and human resilience unfolded under extreme conditions. Through photography, ice, archival fragments, and translucent fabric installations made from recycled plastic, the exhibition reimagines the iceberg as both physical form and metaphor: a symbol of hidden histories, unseen support systems, and the fragile relationship between humanity and the natural world.

Balancing historical reflection with contemporary environmental awareness, the works invite viewers to move through layers of memory, water, and ice — exploring what remains visible, and what lies beneath the surface.

At the heart of Hidden Explorers is this photograph: a fragile, handwritten trace of a human bond that history almost forgot.

Inspired by the intimacy and mystery of family photo albums — and by the idea that a family story can belong to our own family, our partner’s, our friends’, or to someone whose name has almost disappeared from history — Lukas Kroulik has chosen Frank Henry Houlder (1867–1936) as his “hidden explorer.” A Buenos Aires-based shipping magnate and head of the Houlder Line, Houlder never set foot on Antarctica, yet his support helped make Shackleton’s Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition possible. Shackleton named a feature on Elephant Island Mount Frank Houlder in his honour.

The connection was more than official gratitude: a surviving Frank Hurley presentation album, inscribed by Shackleton to Houlder in 1917, thanks him personally for his “generous assistance” and recalls his offer to equip a relief ship, while a Shackleton studio portrait dedicated to Houlder in August 1914 stands as further evidence of a friendship that reached beyond the expedition itself.

Shackleton's studio portrait dedicated to Houlder in August 1914

HIDDEN EXPLORERS EXHIBITION, 67 York Street Gallery, London Marylebone, featured in Aesthetica Magazine.

Plastic People by Lukas Kroulik

Plastic People is a photographic artwork inspired by the spirit of The Plastic People of the Universe, the legendary Czech underground band whose uncompromising creativity became a symbol of cultural freedom. Created from a temporary installation of translucent sweets arranged on a plate, the work uses sunlight, shadow, and transparency to transform everyday materials into luminous human-like forms.

'Plastic People' by Lukas Kroulik, 2026. Original photograph printed on recycled PET fabric (made from recycled plastic bottles), presented in a hand-painted bamboo hoop. Diameter: 30 cm.

The title also draws a deliberate contrast between past and present. The original “Plastic People” was harsh, confrontational music that protested against a Communist regime which sought to mould individuals into compliant, interchangeable objects.

Today, the pressures are different and often disguised beneath comfort, convenience, and consumer culture, yet they can be equally powerful in encouraging conformity. The sweetness of the materials used in the artwork reflects this shift: what was once an overt system of control has, in many ways, been replaced by subtler forces that can still turn people into “plastic” versions of themselves.

'Plastic People' by Lukas Kroulik, 2026 - "Nothing in this work is quite what it first appears to be: sweets become people, waste becomes fabric, light becomes substance, and a plate becomes a stage."

The photograph is printed on fabric made from recycled plastic bottles, allowing light to pass through the image and reinforcing its connection to transformation, sustainability, and renewal. Presented in a circular embroidery hoop, the piece references both the original plate and the handmade traditions of textile craft. By reimagining “plastic people” through recycled materials, fleeting light, and contemporary consumer materials, the work invites viewers to reconsider waste, value, individuality, and the creative potential hidden within the materials we often discard.

Skye Tide by Lukas Kroulik

I’m delighted to share that my work Tide will be part of Future Folklore: The Art and Craft of Storytelling, presented by Visual Arts Scotland at the beautiful Maclaurin Art Gallery, 28 March – 27 May 2026.

The Maclaurin Art Gallery in Ayr, Scotland, is a highly regarded regional institution known for holding one of the best collections of 20th and 21st-century art in the country. Located in Rozelle Park, it is famous for hosting significant exhibitions, including those from the Royal Scottish Academy and the Society of Scottish Artists.

Key Aspects of Its Reputation:

• Collection: Features a significant collection of modern art, including paintings, drawings, and sculptures from national and international artists.

• Exhibitions: Regularly hosts high-profile exhibitions, including the Society of Scottish Artists' annual show.

• Cultural Significance: Houses the 54-piece 'Tam o' Shanter' series by Alexander Goudie at nearby Rozelle House.

• Partnerships: Works with organizations like the Royal Scottish Academy to display esteemed artworks.

• Accreditation: Rozelle House, where the gallery is based, is an accredited museum, meeting UK standards for collections management. 

It is widely considered a key cultural venue in South Ayrshire, attracting visitors for its diverse exhibitions, workshops, and events, according to Destination South Ayrshire. 

Tide by Lukas Kroulik, 2026

Tide, Skye Tide, photographed on the Isle of Skye — a mesmerizing, mysterious piece shaped by wind, water, and time, presented in a wooden tray.

Tide by Lukas Kroulik, 2026

This mixed-media piece — a photograph from the Isle of Skye printed on Fuji gloss archival paper, embedded in eco-resin and presented in a wooden tray — reflects my ongoing fascination with Scotland’s landscape, folklore, and the stories carried by the sea.

Scotland’s myths and legends have travelled far beyond its shores, and it feels especially meaningful to exhibit a work inspired by Skye within this exhibition exploring how folklore continues to evolve.