A Landmark Exhibition at Museum Kampa: Mikuláš Medek & Jan Koblasa – Against the Ban

Mikuláš Medek & Jan Koblasa – Against the Ban: A Landmark Exhibition at Museum Kampa
3 October 2026 – 17 January 2027
Opening hours: Daily, 10:00–18:00
Museum Kampa, U Sovových mlýnů 2, Prague 1

Marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of Mikuláš Medek (1926–1974), one of the most influential Czech painters of the 20th century, Museum Kampa presents Against the Ban, an exhibition revisiting a landmark moment in Czechoslovak modern art. The exhibition reconstructs the legendary 1963 presentation of works by Medek and sculptor Jan Koblasa in Teplice, which took place despite repeated bans imposed by the communist regime. Made possible by a brief period of political liberalisation, the original exhibition was a breakthrough for the unofficial art scene, introducing the wider public to bold, existentially charged abstract paintings and sculptures.

Bringing together works created between 1959 and 1963, alongside historical photographs by Jiří Hampl, the exhibition captures the artistic courage and creative freedom of two remarkable figures. Their powerful works explore human emotions, anxieties, struggles and hopes, often with touches of humour and irony that remain strikingly relevant today. Curated by Mahulena Nešlehová and Lenka Bydžovská, the exhibition pays tribute to Medek’s artistic legacy and to the enduring power of art in the face of political repression.

Accompanying programme: https://www.museumkampa.cz