The works by Václav Kopecký featured in the exhibition can be seen as two contrasting poles. One consists of repeated views into palm leaves — a calm, meditative series that reflects time, manual labour, breathing, and concentration. Here, darkroom chemistry becomes more than a tool; it is a physical experience that leaves its trace in every layer of the paper.
The second pole brings a sharp contrast: vivid, glossy digital images of everyday objects — from a blooming plant to a can or a crystal. For Kopecký, photography is a way of looking at the world, and Whole World Catalog makes this clear. Analogue processes meet the visual overload of the digital age; calmness meets intensity; and photography becomes a guide through the complexities of contemporary life.

“Whole World Catalog offers a contemporary perspective on photography at a time when images exist both as digital traces and physical objects. The artist brings analogue and digital methods into dialogue, showing how our perception of the photographic image is changing,” says curator Světlana Malina.

The exhibition is presented in collaboration with Fotograf Contemporary and follows previous successful shows by Marie Tomanová and Libuše Jarcovjáková. For this occasion, Kopecký is also preparing a limited, affordable edition of one of the exhibited photographs.

The second exhibition introduces Milan Mazúr, who also observes and questions the world around him — this time through moving image. His video installation Eva follows the personal story of a woman whose work in social support and integration brings change to her surroundings.

The piece is contemplative and fragmented, creating a specific visual and sound atmosphere in which her story slowly unfolds. Through field recordings and the protagonist’s inner monologues, past and present come together, shaping an intimate and authentic experience. The opening will mark the first time Eva is shown to the public.

Both exhibitions open at Fotograf Zone Gallery on Thursday, 20 November at 6 PM and run until 22 December.

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Václav Kopecký

Václav Kopecký explores photography not only as a tool for depicting reality, but also as a physical object that influences how we see the world. He studies photography as a medium of memory, shaped by its specific history and technology. He works mainly with traditional darkroom methods and approaches photography as a way of observing and understanding the world. He holds an MA in Photography from the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague (UMPRUM) and a BA from the Faculty of Art and Design in Ústí nad Labem. In 2019 he completed a PhD in Fine Arts at UMPRUM. Since 2020, he has led the Applied Photography Studio at UJEP. He lives and works in Prague.

Milan Mazúr 

Milan Mazúr is a visual artist focusing on moving image. His work includes experimental film, generative video and nonlinear video essays. He often explores memory — through visual and sound fragments referencing the past, archival footage, and processes of forgetting. He sees memory as a layer where traces of the past meet the present, and he is interested in how technology shapes these narratives. He currently co-leads the Multimedia Studio at the Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art in Plzeň.

Fotograf Contemporary

Fotograf Contemporary focuses on established names in contemporary photography, presenting their work at selected exhibitions and offering it for sale. It also operates an online platform showcasing a wide range of artworks by leading photographers working in the Czech Republic today.

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The exhibition was created with the financial support of the GESTOR grant.