We would like to invite you to Gallery Night, where you will have the opportunity to meet photographer Iren Stehli as part of her exhibition at Clauda.

Iren Stehli (*1953) went to Prague in 1972 to take a Czech language course for foreigners (her mother was Czech), and she later studied Slavic studies at Charles University. By chance, she fell in love with photography, and from 1974 to 1979 she studied at FAMU, where she made many lifelong friends, including the inspiring theorist Anna Fárová. Stehli was so enchanted by the Czech environment that she continued returning from Switzerland, and most of her independent work therefore relates to the Czech milieu (such as the famous series Dancing Lessons 1974–77, Fast-Food Fish 1976–77, Sláma, the Tailor 1976–81, Libuna 1974–2001, and Prague Shop Windows 1976–96). 

She exhibited for the first time in 1978 at the legendary Činoherní klub, and since 1983 her work has appeared in numerous international exhibitions. In 2014, she had a solo exhibition entitled So nah, so fern at the renowned Fotostiftung Schweiz in Winterthur, and a year later her work was also presented at the Prague City Gallery. Iren Stehli’s portfolio also includes three publications of her own work. Her portfolio also includes three original publications.

Her photographs are held in many prestigious collections, including Centre Pompidou, Sammlung der Stadt Zürich, Sammlung der Stadt Biel, Moravian Gallery in Brno, and Prague City Gallery. After the Velvet Revolution in 1989, she became the director of Pro Helvetia, a foundation supporting Czech culture, which she led for eight years. She also applied for Czech citizenship, and she still divides her time between Zurich and Prague.