New exhibition at Prague’s Municipal Library explores the art of activism
An exhibition devoted to activist art is currently underway at Prague’s Municipal Library. Organised by City Gallery Prague, it explores Czech activist art of recent decades in dialogue with international movements such as Black Lives Matter, Me Too, or Fridays for Future.
Public protests against violations of civil rights or environmental destruction often take the form of artistic performances. A wide range of such art, both from Czechia and abroad, is now brought together in a new exhibition at the Municipal Library in Prague, simply titled The Art of Activism.
Exhibition curator Jitka Hlaváčková explains the framework behind the show.
“We formulated several rules according to which we defined this activism. Based on that, we then tried to examine how the Czech scene deals with individual themes and what strategies it uses.”
The exhibition design deliberately departs from the conventions of traditional gallery displays. Many rooms feel densely packed, almost overwhelming. Using mainly recycled objects and materials, the space echoes the chaos and urgency of activist action rather than offering a polished, comfortable viewing experience.
Visitors are encouraged to move actively through the exhibition, read, listen, and engage, rather than remain passive observers, explains Jan Tomšů, who was responsible for the spatial concept.
“Hopefully, the space speaks to you more as an embodiment of the principles of activist art that we tried to employ. It shouldn’t function simply as a design exercise or an immersive experience. Rather, it is set up to make you slightly uncomfortable, the way a city sometimes can be—so that you occasionally step outside your comfort zone, sometimes break a rule, become a bit of an activist yourself, and in that way get deeper into the art.”
The Art of Activism addresses several key themes. One of them is the housing crisis and homelessness, explored for example by artist Pavel Karous. Among his works is a so-called luxury shopping cart.
“Here I basically have an SUV made out of a shopping cart. People on the street use shopping carts because they’re essentially available for free: you can transport items that can be returned to scrap yards, bottles, or sleeping bags. I wanted to point out that even on the street, people can belong to different classes.”
Other themes include excluded communities and their right to be heard, shown for example through the Bedřiška settlement in Ostrava, says Hlaváčková:
“Another theme is the right to identity, which includes a whole range of topics from gender issues to questions of nationality. Then there is the right to asylum or to a safe environment, which is also connected to the right to a safe natural environment.”
The exhibition opened symbolically on December 10, International Human Rights Day, and will run until March 8, 2026.
