Saturday Art Workshop: The Social and Character Portrait / for the Helena Wilson: Photography exhibition

Through educational programmes and art workshops, visitors will be introduced to the collected works of the important Czech photographer Helena Wilsonová in a creative way. Interaction with individual photographs will shed light on the life and work of the artist, who became famous for documenting the unofficial art scene during the 1970s normalisation period in Czechoslovakia. Crucial events of this challenging political period will also be explained. The aim will be to observe, examine and reflect on her photographs and sets of photographs, which are characterised by strong empathy and feeling. The artistic responses will focus on portrait and documentary photography, using conceptual and performative approaches as well as a variety of artistic methods and practices, such as photocollage, photomontage, collage and other mixed media techniques, where reproductions of the presented photographs will be processed and artistically recycled. New media will also be involved, with the use of mobile apps aimed at post-production of the photographs produced during the programmes. The social and political context will be emphasised, and the atmosphere of the time will be brought into focus. The educational programmes and art workshops will develop visual literacy and promote creative and critical thinking.