The official launch of the exhibition, the opening ceremony, took place on 3 June with a "fantasy walk" to all the V4 embassies and ended with a picnic and fun activities in Berzelii Park. 

A map with all the exhibition locations marked for the V4 "Fantasy Walk" can be found in the Facebook event discussion thread or below. The route is approximately 4 km long.

The exhibitions are on display from 3 June on:

• 10:00 on the fence of the Czech Embassy at Villagatan 21
• 10:30 on the fence of the Polish Embassy at Karlavägen 35
• 11:15 on the fence of the Hungarian Embassy at Dag Hammarskjölds väg 10
• 12:00 on a fence in Berzelii Park close to the Slovak Embassy (from June 12^th the Slovak exhibition will move to the fence of the Polish Embassy)

Photo challenge:

Win a V4 gift by taking a picture of yourself with your favourite illustration from each V4 country exhibition. Show the pictures to the organizers in Berzelii park on June 3^rd or send them to v4kidsswe@gmail.com by June 22^nd to receive a V4 gift!

All those who complete the photo challenge will be able to pick up the gift at the Slovak Embassy, Arsenalsgatan 2, on weekdays, during working hours.

Duration of the project:

The V4 Fantasy Walk and the photo challenge will take place from June 3^rd to June 22^nd, 2023, but the exhibition at the Embassy of the Czech Republic remains till the end of August. 

Next Worlds

Young Czech children’s book illustration

You may already be familiar with The Little Mole (Krteček) by Zdeněk Miller, the playful illustrations by Josef Čapek, or the lyrical style of Jiří Trnka.

But who comes next?

Children's book illustrations have a long history in Czechia. As early as 1658, John Amos Comenius accompanied his textbook for children, Orbis Pictus, with his own illustrations. Wenceslaus (Václav) Hollar, an accomplished graphic artist, illustrated the Fables of Aesop with his etchings in 1665.

With books and printing becoming increasingly affordable, the demand for illustrations aimed at the youngest audience also grew. Great Czech painters of the late 19th century, such as Josef Mánes or Mikoláš Aleš, illustrated books of fairy tales. Many prominent names followed in the early 20th century, such as Vojtěch Preissig, Josef Čapek, and Josef Lada, and after the Second World War, Jiří Trnka and Zdeněk Burian.

Even during the communist regime, children's books remained one of the few allowed arts exports. Therefore, Zdeněk Miller's The Little Mole (Krteček), Ferdy (Ferda Mravenec) by Ondřej Sekora, or Maxipes Fík by Jiří Šalamoun have been enjoyed by children around the world. The relaxed 1960s brought forth distinct female authors such as Květa Pacovská, Helena Zmatlíková, or Daisy Mrázková.

This exhibition presents the next, youngest generation of Czech artists. Some of them studied at the studio of Illustration and Design at the Academy of Arts, Architecture & Design in Prague, an institution that has helped shape the Czech art scene since its founding.

Despite their young age, the artists represented here have already published their own artist's books or illustrations for both major and independent publishers. Some have been awarded The Golden Ribbon (Zlatá Stuha) or Czech Grand Design prizes. They have developed their own distinctive styles, using different techniques, whether analogue, digital, or a combination thereof. However, they all bring a breath of fresh air.

This presentation offers a humble insight into their amazing art worlds. Take your time to explore these few panels and, perhaps, delve further into the rich and diverse scene of the next generation of Czech illustrators.

Artists:

• Jindřich Janíček
• Nikola Logosová
• Lucie Lučanská
• Ilona Polanski
• Magdalena Rutová
• Anastasia Stročkova
• Tereza Šiklová
• Daniel Špaček
• Jan Šrámek
• Veronika Vlková

Curator: Michal Brenner

Graphic Design: Gabriela Štenclová, Michal Brenner