At the turn of the millennium. A respected president addresses a society in transition from closed to open. His communication, free of platitudes, his ability to name events and phenomena clearly, and his honesty and consistency inspire an outpouring of expression among the public, both verbal and visual. A society that has overcome its fear is eager to take an active part in improving public life. The immense hope of a small country in the heart of Europe becomes the driving force of a new era—one that captures the imagination of the entire world.
At its centre stands Prague Castle and President Václav Havel, documented between 1997 and 2003 by one of his official photographers, Karel Cudlín. The openness and sincerity of ordinary citizens are also reflected in their letters to the President. Karel Cudlín’s photographs portray the President with all the dignity of his office, yet also with a sensitivity to the magic of the moment and an eye for the absurd. Photographs and letters come together not only in the files of the Archives of the Office of the President of the Republic; a selection of them is also presented to the public in this exhibition as a tribute.

                                                                                                   Eva Papoušková

(CV) Karel Cudlín (*1960, Prague) is a renowned Czech documentary photographer whose work has gained international recognition. He is the author of numerous thematic series exploring social and healthcare environments, paradigm shifts and the disappearance of old worlds and empires, the transformation of urban spaces, as well as artists’ studios and human creativity. He has repeatedly returned to Ukraine and spent thirty years documenting life in Israel.

(CV) Eva Papoušková (*1969, Brno) is a Czech writer, screenwriter and translator. She is the author of numerous books and has written scripts for a number of television series.