Kafka-Prague / Photographs by Jan Parik 1980 [CLOSED]

Curator: Nava Schreiber

The “Kafka-Prague” exhibition is the first of its kind at Beit Hatfutsot. It tells the story of an exceptional writer who made an unforgettable contribution to world literature. Kafka’s story is recounted against the background of his birthplace – the city of Prague – a meeting point for eastern and western cultures. This is a city where ancient Jewish communities flourished in a ferment of intellectual achievement; a city that produced Jewish thinkers and creators who make an indelible impression on the twentieth century.

This exhibition was prepared and compiled for Beit Hatfutsot by the photographer, Jan Parik. It comprises documentary material on the life of Franz Kafka, collected from various sources by Parik, as well as exceptional photographs of Prague which he took himself.

Parik’s camera captures the landscape that surrounded Kafka, and offers the visitor a glimpse of the unique atmosphere of Prague through its churches and towers, bridges and alleys, as well as through the endless corridors of the office buildings.
The exhibition is divided into the following sections:
Childhood, University Years, Adulthood and the Last Years.
To complete the exhibition, a sculptured bust of Kafka, by Dan Kulka, and a documentary film of the life of Kafka were included. Altogether there are 180 photographs, 100 of which are taken from the work of Jan Parik, and the rest from the collection of documentary material. Also included are the first editions of many of Kafka’s works.