The first exhibition of Jaroslav Fragner Gallery under the leadership of its new director Karolína Plášková, entitled „Architektura jako práce“, focuses on the precarious working and living conditions of architects. The exhibition is part of the long-term project "Dear Architects...", through which Karolína Plášková has been bringing the topics of the role of architects and the ethics of practice into the public debate for the last few years. The exhibition on the changes in the relationship between employers and employees was created as part of the dramaturgical programme Space for Engaged Architecture under the auspices of Faculty of Architecture of Brno University of Technology and was presented at the turn of the year at Architecture Gallery Brno. In Prague, the exhibition will be presented in the gallery, which was purchased by Czech Technical University in Prague in 2020.
"We want to talk about the reality that we commonly encounter in architecture and show that people working in architecture are not alone. Similar problems are named by individuals and organisations all over the world and we wish to develop the discussion here and outline possible ways out, which lie in emancipation rather than in fighting for more money," says curator Karolína Plášková.
Architect(s) often present the agenda of architecture as a search for solutions to contemporary world problems, without trying to find solutions to the toxic conditions in which architecture is produced. If they are expected to work ethically, it is necessary to talk about the very ethics and culture in architectural offices and studios. But the problem often arises much earlier; students in universities around the world are confronted with a narrative of architecture as a life's calling, often to compensate for unacceptable environments and low-paying jobs.
The exhibition Architecture as Work does not only aim to describe the current critical situation, it also presents initiatives or achievements in the field of improving working conditions. The aim is to raise awareness and hopefully contribute to the discussion about, for example, the collective organisation of work, work-life balance, the structure of architectural offices (hierarchical vs. non-hierarchical), associations and groups focusing on the same topic and the young generation's grasp of the topic, for example through social networks. Despite the entrenched resistance to the use of collective power, the aim is to show that tangible achievements can be made through bottom-up organisation and solidarity.
The exhibition should serve as a basis for community meetings, and many topics will be discussed in the accompanying programme in the form of lectures, workshops or panel discussions, similar to the Brno event, where visitors could meet Charlie Edmonds, founder of the British Future Architects Front, Marisa Cortright, author of the book "Can this be? Surely this cannot be?" Architectural Workers Organizing in Europe ("Is it possible? Surely This Cannot Be?" Architectural Workers Organizing in Europe) or with Angelika Hinterbrandner, co-founder of the online magazine and podcast Contextures or the platform spaceforfuture.org.
exhibition curator: Karolína Plášková
exhibition architecture: Karolína Munková, Eva Truncová
graphic design: Bára Růžičková
konsultation: Jan Kristek
Galerie Jaroslava Fragnera, Betlémské náměstí 5a, Praha 1
- grand-opening: 15. června 2023 v 19:00
- exhibtion: 16. června–31. srpna 2023
open times: wednesday–sunday, 14:00–19:00
free entry
The founder of Jaroslav Fragner Gallery is Czech Technical University in Prague. The exhibition project was created in cooperation with Faculty of Architecture of Brno University of Technology and with the financial support of City of Brno. The Prague exhibition and its accompanying programme are supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the City of Prague and the Czech Architecture Foundation. The exhibition is supported by Art Re Use.