A joint project of the Czech Institute of Egyptology, Faculty of Arts UK and HYB4 Galerie of Kampus Hybernská connects ancient Egyptian texts and contemporary visual arts. The project, led by Associate Professor Jiří Janák, builds on the research of ancient Egyptian religion and is based on new translations and interpretations of the original sources.
“The foundation and main source of inspiration for the project is the ancient Egyptian creation myth,” explains one of the curators of the exhibition Philip Kazda of HYB4 Galerie of Kampus Hybernská. “We have made the text of this story available to selected artists in a new, specially prepared translation that draws from ancient Egyptian sources from the middle of the 3rd millennium BCE to the 1st century CE.” he adds.
The selected Czech artists were inspired by a specially prepared translations of Egyptian texts and created works in different styles and techniques. The exhibition will also include a presentation of archaeological results of the Czech Institute of Egyptology FF UK from Abusir including photographs, films and other materials.
“The text was prepared to reflect as closely as possible both the original mythological ideas and the usual structure of ancient Egyptian and ancient myths in general,” says Associate Professor Jiří Janák, author of the exhibition project. “At the same time, the text should allow the reader to understand the whole myth and its partial passages without the need for further interpretation or footnotes. Therefore, some originally one-word expressions and individual hieroglyphic signs are broken down into longer phrases, religious notions are explained already within the narrative being told. The myth contains literal quotations from the so-called Pyramid texts dating from the middle of the 3rd millennium BCE, elsewhere it adopts religious notions, names, titles or epithets of gods attested in hymns from the end of the 2nd millennium BCE or motifs from ritual texts that have been preserved only on papyri from around the turn of the common era.“
The myth of the creation of the world, which was available to the artists involved in the project Creation — Myth — Art, is therefore an artificial creation in itself. In this form, it is not documented from Egyptian sources, but it tells the story using original motifs, linguistic turns and mental images.
Exhibiting authors:
Karíma Al-Mukhtarová, Jan Bažant, Daniel Balabán, Radka Bodzewicz, Veronika Holcová, Ditta Jiřičková, Lenka Jirková Táborská, Alžběta Josefy, Lida Kejmarová, Svatopluk Klimeš, Petr Košárek, Jan Kuntoš, Martin Mainer, Silvie Milková, Petr Nikl, Marian Palla, Karolína Rossí, Miloš Šejn, Robert Smolík, Pavel Skrott, Aleš Svoboda, Tereza Šrámková, Zdeněk Trs, Martin Zetová.
Accompanying program
The exhibition in A.1 HYB4 Galerie will be complemented by educational lectures by leading experts in the field of Egyptology and other events. In addition to Jiří Janák participation in the lectures was promised for example by Miroslav Bárta and Renata Landgráfová (Czech Institute of Egyptology) or Tereza Svášková, head of the Czech-Egyptian cultural projects of the Czech Centres, which took over the patronage of the event. Details of the accompanying programme will be published gradually on the website Kampus Hybernská.
A.1 HYB4 Galerie, Kampus Hybernská, Hybernská 4, Prague
Curators: Jiří Janák, Petr Košárek, Filip Kazda, Michal Štochl
Opening: February 28, 2025 at 18:00 in E.0 Sál of Kampus Hybernská
Duration of the exhibition: 1 March — 17 May 2025
Opening hours: Tue — Sat 13:00 — 19:00
Admission: general 180 CZK, students, seniors/seniors and ZTP 90 CZK, school groups 50 CZK/person, children up to 12 free
Financial partners: City Hall of Prague, Faculty of Arts, Charles University, Charles University
The event takes place under the patronage of the Czech centers and the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Egypt.
