DEVADE - opening of the exhibition and book launch at CAMP

We sometimes tend to look at the architectural heritage of the nineties with a bit of contempt. We often associate this era with wild parties, relaxed socio-political conventions, and an overall optimism that also manifested itself in construction projects. However, the architecture of that time was not as "savage" as we might think – it is better defined by its position between two aesthetic poles: between the "rigor" inspired by interwar modernism or functionalism and the "disco" in the form of freely playful postmodernism admired by the West. Today, the architectural community highlights from that time the return to strict proportions, honest materials, and buildings with a conscious character. In contrast, the broader public primarily remembers the "disco": striking shapes, golden frames, and exhibitions of wealth. It is, however, both of these perspectives and their mutual intertwining and competition that create a fascinating picture of the nineties in architecture.

The exhibition presents thirty selected buildings realized in Prague between 1989 and 2004 and also follows the circumstances of their creation: the functioning of professional associations, the rise of the first DIY stores, and how the political representation talked about architecture. The broader social context of that time will be presented through a large-format projection made up of archival materials from Czech Television and a collection of current photographs. Visitors can watch the projection from the festive Olga chairs designed by Bořek Šípek for the Spanish Hall of Prague Castle in the nineties. Opposite the projection wall is a large timeline describing the main milestones of the era. Accompanying it are so-called memes or satirical illustrations from the team Dynamic Block, which imitate and ironize the aesthetics of the nineties. We will then recall the "morphology" of the architecture and design of that time in an original way – through a collage of period advertisements.

The content of the exhibition DEVADE: Architecture of Prague Between Rigor and Disco is based on the book of the same name by authors Matěj Beránek, Jan Bureš, Radek Šrettr Úlehly, and Adéla Vaculíková, published simultaneously with the exhibition by IPR Praha.