5 stunning black-and-white photo exhibits not to miss in Prague

From two newly opened exhibitions exploring aging, decay, and the circle of life, to a duo of showcases dedicated to Czechia’s fringes and underground, presented by two unsung female pioneers of the craft, photography fans will have their fill of gallery offerings in Prague well into the new year. Here's a snapshot of exhibits to visit now:

Jiří Hanke, a leading figure in contemporary Czech photography, has made significant contributions as both a photographer and curator, organizing over 450 exhibitions since 1977. His notable works include Views from the Window of My Apartment and Entrepreneurs.

Inspired by the works of August Sander, Echoes of a Generation, Hanke’s portraits in this new exhibit at Leica Gallery compare physical traits and environments across generations.

The exhibit at Leica Gallery shows the passage of time and the genetic legacy between family members, highlighting these evolving portraits. It includes portraits of the same people and, in many cases, their children and grandchildren created over decades. It also showcases Hanke’s exceptional work into his eighties and is accompanied by clips from a film about his life.

Generation Footprints: Jiří Hanke is on at Leica Gallery through Jan. 12, 2025. Details here.

Opening today, Josef Koudelka: Ruins presents the Czech photographer’s final project, across four halls in the Museum of Decorative Arts. Featuring over 200 archaeological sites across the Mediterranean, Koudelka’s work explores landscapes shaped by human activity, reflecting on the impact of civilization and industry.

The photographs, spanning from 1991 to 2017, highlight the transformation of ancient monuments in  Albania, Algeria, Bulgaria, Egypt, France, Croatia, Italy, Israel, Jordan, Cyprus, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Portugal, Greece, Slovenia, Syria, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey and were first compiled in a book in 2020.

Koudelka, a renowned Czech photographer and photojournalist is best known for his iconic images of the 1968 Prague Spring invasion. Exiled in the ’70s he became a French citizen in 1987.

Josef Koudelka: Ruins is on at the Museum of Decorative Arts (historical building) through March 30, 2025. Details here.

Libuše Jarcovjáková started taking pictures as a teenager, and when Soviet tanks entered Prague in the summer of 1968, she had her camera in hand. More than half a century later, following a career that took her from the clandestine LGBT scene of communist Czechoslovakia to the bustling streets of Tokyo, and from the lonely nights of West Berlin back to post-Velvet Revolution Prague, the now 72-year-old photographer is getting a crowning retrospective at the Trade Fair Palace building of the National Gallery Prague.

Featuring 50-odd years of photographic experimentation from an artist intent on documenting life with unadulterated honesty and in its most naked immediacy, the unique exhibition combines some of Jarcovjáková’s most famous cycles with lesser-known, newer artworks.

Libuše Jarcovjáková retrospective is on at the National Gallery’s Trade Fair Palace until March 30, 2025. Details here.

A must-see for art and photography lovers, Bruce Weber: My Education opened in September and will run through the new year at Prague’s Stone Bell House. The retrospective spans five decades of the acclaimed American fashion photographer’s work for Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair, and other glossies. He is known for his portraits of Patti Smith, Leonardo DiCaprio, Heath Ledger, and Czech actress Eva Herzigová.

The exhibit also offers insight into Weber’s influences and connection to Czechia, featuring iconic portraits, fashion campaigns, and films. This is Weber's first major European exhibit.

Bruce Weber: My Education is on at the Stone Bell House until Jan. 19. Details here.

The legacy of photographer Helena Wilsonová (1937–2019) is marked by an empathetic lens capturing diverse, often marginalized environments across continents, including Czechia’s underground art scene during normalization, Native American life in Ontario, and Havana’s slums.

Born into a family of photographers, Wilsonová trained at the State School of Graphics and documented artists of the Křižovnické school. After joining her Canadian husband abroad in 1977, she continued photographing socially significant subjects. This exhibition reflects her lifelong commitment to dignified visual storytelling.

Helena Wilsonová: Photography is on at Prague City Gallery until Feb. 23, 2025. Details here.