Josef Sudek: Periphery - A Photographic Exploration of Prague's Overlooked Urban Landscapes

This exhibition explores photographer Josef Sudek's fascination with Prague's periphery, focusing on its harsher, poorer, and more socially aware aspects. It showcases his documentation of modest dwellings and slum communities, highlighting his lifelong engagement with the less romanticized parts of the city.

The exhibition "Josef Sudek: Periphery" delves into the profound connection between the renowned photographer Josef Sudek and the less celebrated outskirts of Prague. Sudek, who was a war invalid, possessed a deep empathy for the suffering and marginalized, which became a recurring theme in his work from the 1920s onwards. This exhibition highlights his systematic photographic exploration of Prague's periphery, including areas like Pankrác, Troja, Jinonice, Vysočany, and Žižkov, capturing modest dwellings, animal sheds, and small glasshouses that characterized these communities. These subjects were also reflected in the collective exhibitions of social photography during his time and in the works of contemporary writers and painters. While Sudek lived centrally, his personal choice of modest living conditions mirrored the themes he explored. The exhibition draws from photographs he prepared for his 1959 book "Prague in Panoramas," as well as surviving images not included in the publication, often assisted by Otto Rothmayer's son and Jiří Toman. "Josef Sudek: Periphery" thus serves not only as a presentation of a significant part of Sudek's oeuvre but also as a testament to his enduring social consciousness and his unique photographic perspective on the fringe world of the city.

Full admission is CZK 40, with a concession price of CZK 20. Tickets can be purchased online or at the gallery. The exhibition is located at the Josef Sudek Gallery in Prague 1–Hradčany.