The gallery, which uses the Institute of Art History’s windows, was founded in 2012. It has given the Institute’s staff the opportunity to put on small exhibitions since then.

 

The magic of mistakes

Photographs from the 1970s to the 1990s from the Institute’s collection are now on display, showing the magic of random details. These can be surprisingly entertaining and amusing, with photo bombers ranging from animals to entire wedding processions.

Documentary photographers have the task of eliminating ‘parasitic’ elements that creep into the image as much as possible. However, this does not always work, resulting in pictures with many meanings.

“The multi-meaning of photographs also applies to documentary images. It often results from the impossibility of having this medium completely under control, or of controlling the time that creates the frame for both the photograph and the photographer,” curator Martin Pavlis said about the exhibition.

 

How were the photographs taken?

These images were mostly made in order to accompany scientific texts. Most of the photographers were employed by the Institute of Art History in the past. Among them are Prokop Paul, Jiří Hampl, František Krejčí, and Zdeněk Matyásko, who still works in the institute.

Do not hesitate and come and see the interesting past with these documentary photographs.

For further information, please visit: https://www.udu.cas.cz/en/.