Prague Art Spring
The contemporary art scene in the Czech capital is booming. Discover the top up-and-coming galleries and off-spaces in the city here.
hunt kastner
Founded in 2006 by Camille Hunt and Katherine Kastner, hunt kastner Gallery may have been the first gallery in Prague to respond to a lack of platforms for emerging Czech talents, and is said to have introduced a commercial gallery model with an international program to the Prague art scene. Hosting five to six yearly exhibitions that feature newly commissioned works in painting, photography, installation, and video, the gallery represents artists including Anna Hulačová, Eva Koťátková, and Jan Šerých. hunt kastner can often be visited at international art fairs.
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Currently on show: ANE is a combination of the Czech words “a” (and)/”ne” (no). In a series of new works, Czech artist Jan Šerých (*1972) reflects the artist’s ongoing interest in the unclear boundaries between the traces of human activity and new technologies, working with a wide range of media including video, painting, and photo-based work. |
Polansky
Another regular at international art fairs, Polansky Gallery has been run by the gallerist Filip Polanský since 2012 and is known for its overall high level of quality, wide range of media, and strong international approach. It represents both Czech and international artists, such as Krištof Kintera, Tillman Kaiser, and Šimon Sýkora, just to name a few.
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Currently on show: The paintings in the exhibition “Arrow of Growth (The Gardner’s Year)” reflect the rhythm of nature, life in the countryside as well as the ritualized act of artistic work that collectively channel Karbus’s everyday life. |
Karpuchina Gallery
Founded in 2016 under the name White Pearl Gallery, the gallery has consistently grown under the direction of Alexandra Karpuchina. In 2020, the gallery, which is located in the area of the historical fish market, which it honors in its logo, took on its current name. The program focuses on presenting contemporary art trends with an emphasis on media with dominant visual language (painting, object, installation), representing young artists like Sabina Knetlová, Julius Reichel, and Sofie Švejdová.
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Currently on show: Figurative painter Jakub Čuška (*1989) presents a variety of his painting and drawing expressions. Larger-format paintings on canvas are accompanied by watercolors on paper, which are the artist’s intimate diary entries.
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Stone Projects
Stone Projects is a Prague-based gallery dedicated to supporting the development of emerging local and international artists, representing very young talents such as Anna Štefanovičová, Jiří Pitrmuc, and Richard Nikl, just to name a few. Established in 2018 by Monika Stone, the gallery is located in a historical building in the city’s 1st district.
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Currently on show: “I think the show is going to be a little bit about shadows, what’s behind the painting, behind the corner, behind the nails.. what is behind that big pile of miscommunication. As T. S. Elliott said: “Between an idea and the reality falls a shadow.” Will see.” – Adam Vít, 2024 |
Garage Gallery
Founded in Prague’s Karlín district in 2018, Garage Gallery is a contemporary space for exhibitions, artist studios and artist in residence programs. The gallery space functions as a platform for interdisciplinary exhibitions along with events such as lectures, workshops and readings. Garage Gallery is also hosting an international residency for artists and curators and offers studio spaces for artists.
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Currently on show: Ella C. Bernard’s exhibition “Freed from Desire” at Garage Gallery takes visitors on a surreal journey through the neighborhood, showcasing contrasting elements and materials that evoke feelings of weight, fluidity, transparency, durability, strength and fragility. The artworks explore the invisible human aura shaped by our interaction with the environment. |
Berlinskej Model
Berlinskej Model is a contemporary art gallery providing a platform for artists to exhibit work concerned with politics, ecology, and other socially engaged themes, aiming at integrating Czech art into the international context and hosting progressive ideas and concepts. The uniqueness of the gallery, which has been based in Prague’s Holešovice since 2011, lies in its unique concept, which is based on short-term exhibitions that rotate in quick succession several times a month
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Opening image: Olga Lioncat / pexels.com