Since October 8, 2024, literature and art lovers can admire an exceptional exhibition at the National Museum Prague, presenting the most beautiful Czech books of 2023. The exhibition, which will remain open until December 31, 2024, features a total of 30 awarded works along with 23 shortlisted titles across seven competition categories.
Among the outstanding exhibits are impressive titles such as “Muklové a šlajsny,” an illustrated history of rugby, and a multi-kilogram book on the puppet film Čertík Bertík, designed by Štěpánka Haničincová. The variety ranges from a tall-format work about the forest to a tiny Jack London book and a playful mushroom messenger that transports visitors into the world of book design. The exhibition also includes photographic artists’ books from the Freetechno scene.
The Memorial of National Literature and the National Museum have jointly organized this event. Architect Ondřej Čech has designed the exhibition, while graphic designers Štěpán Malovec and Martin Odehnal created the graphic design for the catalogue and presentation. The exhibited books come in various formats and sizes, from hefty “page-turners” to small, almost inconspicuous bibliophile editions.
A unique feature of the exhibition is that visitors are not only allowed to view the books but also to leaf through them. Michal Stehlík, the director of the memorial, invites visitors to take the books in their hands and be inspired by their charm and uniqueness.
The significance of books for the National Museum is emphasized by General Director Michal Lukeš, who highlights that the museum’s public scientific library boasts extensive historical collections. Every year, several book exhibitions are organized, and the collaboration with the Memorial of National Literature is a valuable enrichment to the exhibition program.
For those interested in learning more about the jury’s decision-making processes, commented tours (in Czech) through the exhibition will be offered on October 30 and November 20, 2024, at 5 p.m. These will be led by experienced educators and jury members.
In total, 305 titles were submitted for the 59th edition of the competition “The Most Beautiful Czech Books.” The competition, organized by the Memorial of National Literature and the Czech Ministry of Culture, aims to recognize the quality and originality of print and bookbinding arts and to encourage publishers to release artistically valuable books.
National Museum Prague (Národní muzeum)
Václavské nám. 68, 110 00 Nové Město
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