New gallery space opens inside Prague’s iconic Molochov building
A once-neglected passageway inside the iconic Prague apartment building known as Molochov has been transformed into a new gallery space. The opening exhibition features works by illustrator and artist Jakub Bachorík.
Standing opposite the wide open space of Letná Plain, Molochov is one of Prague’s best-known functionalist apartment blocks. The huge complex on Milady Horákové Street has witnessed some of the defining moments of modern Czech history, from communist-era military parades to the mass demonstrations of the Velvet Revolution in 1989.
Now, a passageway running through the centre of the block and linking Milady Horákové Street with a quiet leafy courtyard has been transformed into an exhibition space. Milan Nedvěd, who founded the project together with his wife Josefína through their association Žijeme, says the idea grew naturally out of living in the building itself.
“We have lived here for eight years now. We regularly walked through this passageway and felt it was not being used in a very dignified way: there was vandalism, and homeless people sometimes stayed here overnight. Since we both work in culture and the arts, we eventually came up with the idea of turning it into a gallery space reflecting both the history of the house and its surroundings.”
For the first exhibition, the couple approached illustrator Jakub Bachorík, whose work combines detailed drawing, storytelling and subtle humour. His paintings trace the history of Molochov, the surrounding neighbourhood and some of the figures connected with the building over the decades.
One wall follows the story of the house and the Letná area from its construction to the present day, capturing moments such as Pope John Paul II’s visit to Prague and Michael Jackson’s concert on Letná Plain, while the central mural focuses on former residents of Molochov itself.
“It tells nine short stories about both lesser-known and famous residents who lived here. They include Charter 77 signatories, communists, poets and artists such as sculptor Zdeněk Palcr, who had his studio in the very passageway where we are standing now.
“The two large murals are accompanied by visuals based on a pair of silkscreen prints presenting Molochov as a silent observer of political events, demonstrations and everyday life of people meeting in Café Letná from the 1960s to the 1980s.”
While researching the building’s history, Bachorík says he uncovered far more stories than he was ultimately able to include in the final work. One detail that particularly stayed with him was the private lift used by communist politician Josef Smrkovský, which went directly to his apartment floor.
Bachorík’s murals will remain on display until October, when they are expected to be painted over by a new project from another artist. I asked him whether it feels strange knowing the work will eventually disappear.
“Whenever I create a mural or a site-specific intervention, I know it will only exist for a limited time. I simply accept that from the beginning and work with it. I like the idea that the work lives here for a while and is then replaced by someone else who will tell the story of the building in a different way.”
Molochov itself carries a remarkable history. The building was originally designed in the late 1930s by several architects, including brothers Otto and Karl Kohn. However, the Nazi occupation interrupted the project and the Kohn family was forced to flee. The final design was later completed by architect Josef Havlíček, who also co-designed Prague’s famous functionalist Dům Radost.
For Milan Nedvěd, though, Molochov is not only about history, but also about the atmosphere of the place itself.
“It is a very special place. Few locations in Prague offer such an open view right outside the front door. When you look around, you barely notice the city itself, only the trees. Letná is a beautiful neighbourhood between two parks, with views of Prague Castle. I think many people who live here are very aware of the significance and atmosphere of the place.”
The exhibition space is only one part of a broader effort to preserve Molochov’s history. The initiators are also preparing a book about the building and collecting memories from residents spanning its many decades of existence.
The publication will feature photographs of Molochov discovered in the archives of renowned Czech photographers including Josef Sudek and Josef Koudelka, whose images captured the building over the course of the 20th century.
People can also purchase silkscreen prints by Jakub Bachorík featuring Molochov through the online shop of the Žijeme association.