Art viewers are always being presented with grand "survey" shows that aim to define an art movement, style or entire generation. Galerie Display's summer show offers a nontraditional approach to the idea.

Conceptual in essence, statistical in design, "Definition" delves into issues in art and society using a format that emulates — and at the same time exposes — the media's exploitation of statistics to sway public opinion. With a series of pie charts hanging in the windows of the locked and gated gallery, the project may not even be recognized by some as an exhibition.

But David Kulhánek, one of the gallery's four directors, begs to differ. "This project is worth being advertised and commented on," he says. "It is part of a series. Every year there is a project for the closed gallery, and we do not hesitate to call it an exhibition."

The pie charts statistically show responses to eight questions that were posed to 11 contemporary Czech artists: Jiří Černický, Jiří David, Milena Dopitová, Tomáš Hlavina, Pavel Humhal, Jiří Kovanda, Jan Merta, Markéta Othová, Vladimír Skrepl, Jiří Surůvka and Filip Turek. While the inquiry was aimed mainly at the artists as artists, it was also directed toward the artists as citizens. Questions such as, "Do you think there is a general cultural situation shared by the countries of the former Eastern bloc that is also part of our identity?" (36.5 percent yes; 63.5 percent no) have a wider scope. And the final question is specific to current Czech politics: "Will you vote for the Civic Democrats?" splintered the group more evenly than any other, with 45.5 percent expressing support for the right-of-center party, and 54.5 percent saying no.

Some of the statistics may alter the public's perceptions about artists' dedication and attachment to both their work and the art world. For example, in answer to "Can you imagine stopping making art?" 82 percent said yes, while 18 percent said no. Interestingly, "Can you imagine stopping being interested in what is going on in art?" drew a 36.5 percent yes response, while 63.5 percent said no.

Despite the inherent limits of this project — it is a nonscientifically conducted survey of a small, hand-picked population — there is the clear benefit of opening discourse on topics such as the significance of art in contemporary society. Nor, according to Kulhánek, was it aimed at finding definitive answers. "The questions still remain open," he says. "Maybe they will continue in discussions. Certainly the artists themselves had to think them over, and that is maybe the most important aspect."

There is a second, more aesthetic, aspect of the exhibition. Possibly hoping to balance the exceedingly conceptual nature of the project, the directors of Display asked the same 11 artists to create a poster expressing something that they desire. The only limitations were that it must be black and white, and must be in A4 format.

These constraints didn't inhibit the artists' expression. The images range from Milena Dopitová's "Does the wind have rays, too?" an image of a tree blowing in the wind attached to five wispy streamers trailing off in one corner, to Vladimír Skrepl's warning, in black print, that "Smoking may cause harm to you and the people around you."