Ever since humanity got its hands on an invention that allows us to capture a split second of life, we have been utterly captivated by photography. Me—us—and time. And the more the technical side of capturing that fleeting moment is simplified, the more people want to capture it. Everyone takes photos—they take bad ones, but all the more for it. “We simply must have a record of our lives!”

When we look at the photographs of artists who mastered—and continue to master—the craft of photography, our breath is taken away. Just as when gazing at a beautiful painting. The art of knowing how to—capture the shimmering air, the rippling water’s surface, and above all, the light! Light that shapes architecture, sculptures, mountains in the landscape, the heated debate of people, the tranquility of a day off, or the action of technical work. Painters, too, discovered the power of light and its dominance over color. They left the studios where they had given free rein to their imagination and began applying paint quickly to capture the atmosphere that had captivated their eyes. To see a particular scene in a photograph and right next to it in a painting is a privilege offered by the PPF collection, which owns both.

There are many themes, and all are a record of life; those most worthy of being immortalized bear witness to humanity’s artistic endeavors. The ability to capture the moment of creation or the final form of a “work” is a gift that photography has given us, because time also brings destruction and loss. To have proof of what our cities, villages, landscapes, and people looked like in a time that no longer exists, because time has taken it away. “Was this really Prague? That’s impossible!  And when? … a hundred, fifty years ago?“

It is exciting to encounter, unexpectedly, representative architecture that was built “back then” and still stands today, but against a different backdrop. A walk through places that have truly vanished. A view of the river, which changes with the daylight, of the work around it, but also of the destruction it has caused. To take a look at the long-closed Jubilee Exhibition, of which only a few pavilions remain today. Waiting in the fog or snow for an old Prague tram. Strolling through the port or experiencing the dawn of motoring on the outskirts of Prague. And see those amazing old bridges! Thank goodness for the invention that allows light to paint! Thank goodness painters devised a technique to capture the fleeting moment!

Curator: Duňa Panenková

Joint exhibition with Josef Sudek Atelier.