UMPRUM Artsemester 2026: “Surviving and Enduring” in the historic Kasárna Karlín
The annual final exhibition of the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague (UMPRUM) has moved to Kasárna Karlín, where students have come together to showcase an exciting variety of works, from sculpture to performance art, shaped by their new temporary home amid the reconstruction of the university’s main building.
Originally built for military purposes as barracks in the 1840s, Kasárna Karlín has, in recent years, become one of Prague’s most distinctive cultural and social hubs, home to an open-air cinema, a volleyball court, bars, cafes and art galleries. During the Prague Spring of 1968, it even served as a provisional broadcasting centre for Czechoslovak Radio, now Czech Radio and Radio Prague International. The site therefore has a long history as an oasis associated with free expression, creativity and public life.
The setting has left a visible mark on this year’s exhibition, while there is no single theme connecting the work of the different ateliers, many projects respond directly to the school's temporary relocation. Architecture students have explored the future development of Karlín and the impact of UMPRUM's arrival on the district, while the Studio of Fine Arts has approached the themes of "surviving and enduring" through the lens of the former barracks and the university’s move.
The exhibition presents the space in which students of UMPRUM collaboratively work and live. Makeshift bars, vegetable stalls, sofas and foosball tables are scattered between the studios making the provisional venue feel welcoming in its disorder and animated by a distinctly creative anarchy.
UMPRUM notes that, “the exhibition reflects the school’s long-term vision: to respond meaningfully to the needs of sustainable living and to bridge creativity with society’s practical needs, so that graduates can navigate the modern world and respond to the complex issues of life around us with an eye for both detail and the bigger picture.”
The exhibition is open to the public until 9 June and takes place across the provisional studios at Kasárni Karlín and the Technological centre UMPRUM.
