PRESS RELEASE
ZA ZDÍ / Beyond the wall
Exhibition of photographs from the life of children who happen to be beyond the
“wall” of a happier world.
Travelling exhibition of large-format photographs documenting the five years of
activities of the citizen-action public Artists 4 Children: For six years in a row it has
been organizing theatrical, musical, photographic and film workshops of ill,
traumatized and handicapped children living in areas struck by wars, poverty or
natural disasters.
Touching, moving, but also humorous, yet always emotional images from talented
representatives of Czech documentary photography (Lucie Frantová, Tomáš Kroulík
and Vladislav Skala) capture the lives of children in problematic locations of the
Czech Republic and Slovakia, but also the hardships of children in Bosnia, Israel,
Palestine, Gaza and slums of southern India and Africa.
“The aim of this travelling exhibition of fifty photographs is to acquaint young people
with the real surroundings and needs of children living in underdeveloped third
world countries. The public can also see the life details of the ill, the poor and the
socially,“ says Renáta Králová, founder and main organizer of activities of Artists 4
Children. The association was established in 2006 after the Tsunami struck Sri
Lanka. Renáta Králová visited its refugee camps with a small theatrical ensemble.
Here they played theatre plays for children who lost their parents, relatives and
homes in a blink of an eye. “We know that we cannot influence the lives of these
children in any significant way, but we can give them something else: the joy and
happiness of play, which alleviates their pain and sorrow, if only for a little while”
says the initiator of the project, which has since travelled the globe.
The exhibition was inaugurated in 2010 in the gallery of the Senate of the Czech
Republic; auspices were given by the Committee for education, culture and human
rights. During 2011 it was supplemented by new photographs from Israel, Palestine
and Gaza and successfully toured dozens of place all over the Czech Republic.
Based on these photographs and on the tales of eyewitnesses, the Czech Television
filmed a documentary of Jolana Matějková “Children beyond the wall”. It was filmed
during one of many trips of the association and now accompanies the exhibition.
Opening nights in individual cities are accompanied by an excellent blind Roma
singer Mário Biháry with the band Bachtale Apsa. Opening nights also include light
juggling shows performed by the duo “Bratři v Tricku”, which also appeared at the
Czech Pavilion of EXPO 2010 Fair in Shanghai. For images of Kenya’s “street
children” the photographer Tomáš Kroulík achieved an excellent 3rd place in the
prestigious competition Czech Press Photo.
“The exhibition proves that even the people of the Czech Republic, a country which is
not overly large or wealthy, can help in those countries, which are in much worse of
a shape. And that it is good to do so,” says Renáta Králová.
Photo Tomáš Kroulík, Kenya
Who are Artists 4 Children
Citizen-action public Artists 4 Children was founded in 2006 by the film producer
Renáta Králová. For six years in a row it was organizing theatrical plays and
theatrical, juggling, musical and photographic workshops for children in hospitals
and Roma communities (in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bosnia, Kosovo and
Albania). It visits refugee camps, countries struck by a natural disaster or military
conflict (Sri Lanka, Israel, Palestine and Gaza). Artists of the association Artists 4
Children visited the mentally and physically handicapped children in India and in the
slums of Africa.
This travelling exhibition of photographs showing the life of “children beyond the
wall” to the wide public belongs among the most important projects of Artists 4
Children.
Contact:
Mgr. Renáta Králová
Tel. +420 603 298 093
E: kralova@artists4children.cz
www.artists4children.cz