This exhibition presents the vision of the future as presented in the art and popular culture of post-war Czechoslovakia. Simultaneously, it shows the context of the period, that helped formed it, which was characterized by faith in the communist utopia and limitless scientific-technological development. In the 1950s and the first half of the 1960s popular cosmonaut-related illustration presented a compact communist-utopian ideology of a better, technologically advanced tomorrow. From the 1960s however, a gradually increasing pessimism and concern over possible worldwide apocalypses that couldn't be overlooked began to creep in. Despite various restrictions the genre of science-fiction blossomed during this era. The exhibition doesn't attempt to narrate a detailed history of science-fiction in Czechoslovakia, but rather to illustrate through particular examples its aesthetic as manifested in book and magazine illustrations, film and design, and at the same time, attest for its influence on the art and architecture of that period. The exhibition presents original artifacts and their interpretation through the aid of contemporary methods of exhibiting. An extensive catalog will accompany the exhibition.

Accompanying events

Curators: Tomáš Pospiszyl and Ivan Adamovič
05 05 — 25 07 2010