Matadero Madrid center for contemporary creation
BOHUMIL HRABAL, 1914-1997
The bitter fruits of the garden of delights
Institution
THE EXHIBITION WILL REMAIN CLOSED DURING THE MONTH OF AUGUST
To celebrate the centenary of the birth of the Czech writer Bohumil Hrabal (1914 - 1997), the Casa del Lector reader's lab and the Czech Centre in Madrid, with the collaboration of the National Museum of Literature of the Czech Republic and Prague City Tourist Office, have organised an exhibition on the Czech author, which his compatriot Milan Kundera defined as "the incarnation of magic Prague, a union of earthly humour and Baroque imagination”.
The exhibition, coordinated by Monika Zgustova, reviews the life and work of Hrabal in eight sections where you can see photos, personal documents, first editions of his work and film posters. The exhibition is divided into five bridges dedicated to the different stages of his life and the works written in each of them, through the important moments of European history in the 20th century: the period between wars, World War II, totalitarian communism, Prague Spring, the fall of communism and the transition to democracy. The adaptation of his books to film, produced by the Czech film director Jirí Menzel, will be another of the sections in the exhibition, made up of 30 original film posters.
The eight sections that make up the exhibition are:
Furthermore, Galaxia Gutenberg has just published the novel Tierno Bárbaro (The Gentle Barbarian) and there are other published works by Hrabal in its catalogue, such as: Yo serví al rey de Inglaterra (I served the King of England), Una soledad demasiado ruidosa (Too loud a solitude) and La pequeña ciudad donde se detuvo el tiempo (The little town where time stood still).
To celebrate the centenary of the birth of the Czech writer Bohumil Hrabal (1914 - 1997), the Casa del Lector reader's lab and the Czech Centre in Madrid, with the collaboration of the National Museum of Literature of the Czech Republic and Prague City Tourist Office, have organised an exhibition on the Czech author, which his compatriot Milan Kundera defined as "the incarnation of magic Prague, a union of earthly humour and Baroque imagination”.
The exhibition, coordinated by Monika Zgustova, reviews the life and work of Hrabal in eight sections where you can see photos, personal documents, first editions of his work and film posters. The exhibition is divided into five bridges dedicated to the different stages of his life and the works written in each of them, through the important moments of European history in the 20th century: the period between wars, World War II, totalitarian communism, Prague Spring, the fall of communism and the transition to democracy. The adaptation of his books to film, produced by the Czech film director Jirí Menzel, will be another of the sections in the exhibition, made up of 30 original film posters.
The eight sections that make up the exhibition are:
- Hrabal's Prague.
- Youth: the apprentice story-teller. 1914 – 1949.
- Beautiful collages of the capital. 1950 – 1969.
- Prague Spring. 1968.
- Living in darkness. 1970 – 1989.
- Euphoria and weariness. 1990 - 1997.
- Bohumil Hrabal in Spain. 1993 and 1995. Andreu Teixidor, Hrabal's first publisher in Spain, has lent the Casa del Lector reader's lab several photographs from his personal files, where you can see Hrabal in Spain.
- Bohumil Hrabal and film. 30 original posters of the films by Jiri Menzel, adapted from Hrabal's works.
- Jiri Kolar. His friend Jiri Kolar creates a series of collages that illustrate several of his books.
Furthermore, Galaxia Gutenberg has just published the novel Tierno Bárbaro (The Gentle Barbarian) and there are other published works by Hrabal in its catalogue, such as: Yo serví al rey de Inglaterra (I served the King of England), Una soledad demasiado ruidosa (Too loud a solitude) and La pequeña ciudad donde se detuvo el tiempo (The little town where time stood still).