They All Met in Karlsbad

The Magnus Art Gallery in Prague  launched its residency programme after gaining access to an elegant apartment in an Art Nouveau palace in Karlovy Vary. Designed for two artists at a time, the residency fosters dialogue between disciplines and encourages creative exchange.

In 2024, seven artist pairs took part, often blending media—glass with textiles, sculpture with painting. The town’s distinctive spa town atmosphere and layered history became a powerful source of inspiration.

Initially shown at the palace’s Display Gallery and later in Prague, a selection of these pieces now comes to London’s Vitrínka Gallery, offering a glimpse into how young Czech art flourishes when given space and freedom to experiment.

Artists exhibiting in London

Anežka Hošková & Jakub Hošek
Anežka Hošková’s paintings reflect her romantic vision of Karlovy Vary’s churches, landscapes, and mineral springs, merging meditative experiences with watercolour techniques. Jakub Hošek responded to the city’s uneasy history, blending beautiful and dark elements into stitched compositions filled with texts, emotions and urban fragments.

Karíma Al-Mukhtarová & TEA
Karíma Al-Mukhtarová explored the transformative symbolism of bathing in a monumental tapestry, capturing the moment between death, acceptance and rebirth. TEA created a sculpture of a scribe inspired by Egyptian aesthetics, integrating fragments of Karíma’s tapestry into the work, reflecting on shared experience and artistic imprint.

Anna Jožová & Lucie Rosická
Anna Jožová and Lucie Rosická investigated materials tied to Karlovy Vary’s nature and culture. Jožová’s luminous glass objects engaged in dialogue with Rosická’s embroidered textiles, as both artists inspired each other to cross creative and material boundaries, exchanging insights from their differing practices.

Néphéli Barbas & Jakub Tytykalo
Néphéli Barbas was drawn to the city’s layered architecture and forested surroundings, translating these into sculptural forms of bent aluminium. Jakub Tytykalo created a unique series of paintings exploring the inner energy of underground springs, blending elemental forces in vibrant, otherworldly compositions.