Eva Švankmajerová retrospective at DOX: surrealism, humour, and a fresh look at the female experience
A major retrospective of Eva Švankmajerová — painter, stage designer, writer, and a leading figure of Czech surrealism — is now on display at Prague’s DOX Centre for Contemporary Art. Titled Woe to the Painting…, the exhibition spans her entire creative life, from the 1960s to her final years.
Marking twenty years since Eva Švankmajerová’s death, the exhibition brings together not only her paintings and drawings, but also ceramics, furniture, and film props created for the works of her husband and lifelong collaborator, Jan Švankmajer, who contributed to this exhibition as well.
Curator Anna Pravdová explains the choice of title:
“The full name of the exhibition is Woe to the Painting That Needs a Verbal Explanation, which is a direct quote from Eva Švankmajerová. And it is built partly on the paradox of the fact that she herself wrote about many of her works, commented on them, and that many of her pieces actually contain text.”
Aside from a short introductory panel, all accompanying texts in the exhibition are Švankmajerová’s own words.
Visitors enter through a section devoted to self-portraits and works inspired by her family and childhood.
“They depict her parents, little Eva as a ringmaster pulling her husband Jan like a puppet. Portraits of Jan and Eva, her childhood home, or various evocations of childhood — for example The Beginnings, which shows Eva in the arms of her father, one of the few who supported her artistic efforts from an early age.”
Throughout her life, Švankmajerová returned to themes of the female body and the position of women in a male-dominated society. But, as Pravdová notes, she always approached these subjects with sharp humour and irony.
“Here we’re in a room with the "Emancipation cycle", which fits perfectly, because this is a part of her work that is truly exceptional. These are paintings in which she reacts, with great humour, to the position of women in society — a lifelong theme for her — and to how difficult it was for her to find recognition and become what she wanted to be: a painter.”
One example is her playful response to Botticelli: instead of the famous Venus, she paints Venouš — a young, stout man emerging from the shell.
The exhibition further explores what Švankmajerová called “failed emancipation,” capturing both the pressures and absurdities of social expectations. It also includes works that focus more directly on the physical experiences of womanhood.
“Here, for instance, you can see a direct reaction to the female body — the perception and experience of it: Caesarean section, defloration, menstruation — a very physical relationship with the body. Ceramics are another highly original part of her work, where her typical themes appear, such as eroticism or reflections on the female body,” Pravdová explains.
Although Eva and Jan Švankmajer often exhibited together — including a major joint show not long ago — the current exhibition, prepared after the publication of a new monograph, is devoted entirely to Eva Švankmajerová’s work and legacy.
Woe to the Painting… will run at the DOX Centre for Contemporary Art until February 15, 2026.
